


Familiar

by Anonymous



Category: Castlevania (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Body Horror, F/F, Gore, Ill definitely rewrite this when I can, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, I’m writing in like two tenses per chapter, Past Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance, Second Person, Slow Burn, first half is present second is past- Do I regret it? Absolutely, tags will be added as the story progresses, the protagonist is a forge master
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:46:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 36,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23524834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: You were there when Carmilla made her grand appearance at Dracula’s castle, but there was something unshakeably familiar about her. Then it hit you-You were her lover once.
Relationships: Carmilla (Castlevania)/Reader, Carmilla (castlevania)/Original Female Characters
Comments: 87
Kudos: 305
Collections: Anonymous





	1. From Bad to Worse

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all, how’s it going?  
> A friend asked me for this like a year or two ago so like here we are with this. Posting it here cause other people might enjoy it too. I also wanna make it know that I dunno jack about castlevania’s magic lore or whatever I dunno how that forging stuff works so I’m guessing mostly.

**T** he life of a guard in Dracula’s court was far less exciting than you anticipated. 

However, with the recent events of the court are only just beginning to pick up. You sigh heavily as you scan the room, shifting your weights from foot to foot. You watch idly as the shit show unfolds from your spot along the corridor. The angered chattering grows steadily louder as the seconds pass. 

The noise is deafening as Dracula calls for order; his voice is drowned out by the angered shouting. You could see it on the man’s face- patience is wearing thin and, if you’re honest with yourself, so is yours. 

“I said  _ cease! _ ” His voice booms and echoes through the room. Just then, the doors to the hall open, and the room falls silent. Whether it’s because of Dracula or the sudden new guest is beyond you. It’s a woman- you note as she strides right past your post. 

She had long white hair and equally white skin- contrasted by a black dress that faded to red as it pools on the floor. She’s confident as she walks, her pace never faltering, her gaze held forward with an almost cocky smile on her lips. But it’s all cold. You can’t quite place how the word came to mind but the way she carries herself feels  _ cold _ . The door clatters shut as she stands before the throne. 

There’s a beat before she speaks. 

“I am Carmilla.” She bows deeply, “I have come from far Styria to join your war council.”

That  _ name,  _ that place. They’re familiar. You’ve heard it before- you’re sure of it. Maybe… maybe before you were turned?

It comes flooding back to and you’re sent reeling. 

_ She was your lover once.  _

——

_ God _ , you were so young. 

It was during the start of winter when you met her. You were a forge master, still new to the craft. You had been traveling, looking for colleagues, books- anything for a better understanding of the magic involved in pulling souls from hell. 

You were by an old graveyard, secluded by the edge of town. A grave had recently been made in the snow, the smell of death still hung in the air. You shoveled snow away until you struck something firmer than the powdery snow. You suck your shovel into the ground and brushed aside the last of the ice. 

A body laid in the shallow pit, a victim of a recent attack you figured. With a degree of care you pulled a corpse from the hole and went to work. 

You knelt down and opened your bag, pulling out a set of runed gloves. You slipped them on and got to work, placing a hand over the heart of the deceased and another on their head. You focused, trying to form a connection to hell, trying to give the body a soul. 

The gloves glowed a soft red light and you felt the air around you start to stir. You smothered down any excitement and kept yourself focused. The light grew brighter and brighter until-

“ **_Witch_ ** !” A man’s voice echoed through still night air. 

You lost your tether and the glowing stopped abruptly as fear sunk its claws into your chest. A string of curses left your mouth as you frantically shoved your tools back into your bag. You slung it over your shoulder and took off. 

You had only just arrived at a new town and already you were in trouble. 

Angered yells rang through your ears, your dread made the already freezing air colder. Soon enough a crowd had been rallied to find a witch. To find you. 

You moved as fast as your legs could carry you to the edge of the settlement- the mob hot on your heels. Armed with pitchforks and torches they shouted the usual obscenities. Devil worshiper, hellspawn, witch, blasphemer- the works. You’d heard it all a million times before, the words lost any real bite years ago. 

You darted into the thicket that bordered the town, hoping to lose them there. They followed, slowly they gained ground. Your heart raced as you willed yourself to move faster; desperate to put some distance between you and the crowd. You thought you were finally going to lose them. 

Until your foot caught on a branch in the snow and you stumbled to the ground. Your fingers clawed the ice and snow, searching for any kind of purchase. You were quick to get back onto your feet but they had already taken back any distance you gained. You stole a quick glance over your shoulder, they couldn’t have been more than a few yards away. 

You start dodging through the thicker swathes of the underbrush, weaving between trees and over stumps and rocks. Only staggering once or twice you ran on, the shouts fading into the night. 

You only stopped when you came upon a road. You paused, watching and listening. Nothing moving between the trees, no voices, no footsteps, nothing- just your thundering heartbeat ringing in your ears. 

The wind howled in the still winter air and you pulled your jacket tighter against you. 

You looked down either way of the road before taking a moment to do a quick inventory check. You shrugged off your pack and set it down in front of you, going over it’s contents. Gloves, notepad, pencil, flint & steel, dried meat, and a few coins. 

_ ‘Hm. Not a lot to work with.’  _ You noted, closing your bag, you slumped. The adrenaline was wearing off. Your run had taken its toll. Your body began to ache. Despite the growing pain in your legs you stood up and made your way down the road. 

You weren’t sure how long you’d been walking when you heard voices coming from somewhere up the road. 

“Shit.” You muttered. 

You hopped off the path and back into the forest and pressed yourself against a tree. You held your breath as two figures approached, soldiers by the look of it. They stopped in their tracks when they passed in front of your hiding spot. 

Before you could think of taking off a cold hand closed around your shoulder. Pinned to the tree you stared wide eyed at the guard. He hissed, revealing sharp fangs. Vampires.  _ Great.  _

He closed in on you and you held up your hands. 

“Wait!” You yelped quickly, “Wait I-I’m a forge master!”

_ That _ seemed to give the vampire pause. He pulled away, looking to the other soldier. They shared a look before shrugging. 

You sighed in relief. 

The relief was cut short as they gripped by the coat and dragged you off to wherever. You fumbled, trying to keep up with their fast face. It didn’t take long to reach their destination. The forest cleared away to reveal a mountainous area with a massive castle perched atop the peak. You only had a second to truly admire it before you were ushered off up a wind path. 

There was a woman at the gate, she was talking to one of the guards when you approached. The closer you got the more imposing she looked, the more you feared for your safety. When you were brought before her she looked to be easily seven feet tall. 

She stared at you unamused but curious. 

“What is this?” She asked in a heavy Slavic accent. 

You were certain you were quite the sight. With the colour drained from your face, covered in cuts and bruises, and utterly disheveled. 

“I-I uh,” You were shaking and your voice only made it more obvious.

“She claims to be a forge master.” One of the men spoke up from behind you. 

“Oh?” She raised a brow skeptically. She looked down at you, eyeing you like a lion eyes a lamb. You fidgeted under her scrutiny. She drew closer, just within arms reach, her gaze felt more oppressive, stifling and choking. Just as you were certain she was about to kill you, she pulled away. 

“Toss it into the western cell block, have someone make sure it’s a forge master.” She dismissed them with a wave. 

  
  


The western cell block wasn’t bad by your standards, but, then again, your standards were fairly low. The cells were big, mostly dry, and empty everything you could hope for in a dungeon. 

“Strip.” The guard ordered

“Really? Come on I just-“

“Strip.” He said, his voice gaining a bit of an edge. 

You sighed defeatedly as you handed your bag off to one of them, followed by your coat. Then your shoes, socks, pants and shirt, leaving you in your underclothes. You shivered slightly in cool air. 

The door opened and you were pushed inside the cell. By the time you righted yourself it had closed behind you. Leaving you to piece together your thoughts. You laid down on the cold stone floor. 


	2. Start of Good Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite your less than stellar circumstances you find yourself presented with a rare opportunity to further your studies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aye lads it’s me coming at ya with a new chapter- this one’s real dialogue heavy so it’s unfortunately not too long. Anyhow there might be a little bit of romance with Lenore there too if you guys are into that lemme know. Don’t forgot to comment and kudos
> 
> Stay safe out there!

**Y** ou aren’t sure how to approach Carmilla. It’s not because of anything as mundane as a bad breakup. No- It’s more that she believes you to be dead.

And she’s only half right. You are like her now, undead, unliving, a vampire- and you fear her reaction to that. You fear her reaction to the fact you’ve been alive this whole time and you didn’t seem to make any move to return to her. A part of you wonders if it would be for the better to let her forget you, but the other wants nothing more than to return to your love.

You finally work up the nerve to talk to her. You find her in the corridor near Dracula’s study, she was speaking to Godbrand. You slow your pace carefully observing the scene. They seem to be having an intense talk when Godbrand storms off in frustration, shouting something you couldn’t catch. You watch as Carmilla zips up to him- quick as a flash- and kick him down the stairs.

You flinch at the sounds of the man hitting every step on the way down.

You hesitate a moment before cautiously walking to the top of the staircase, peering down. Carmilla stood on the bottom, her foot digging into the viking’s chest. Her voice was full of vitriol as she snarls down at the man beneath her. 

“Never again.” You hear her voice echo. Curious you creep your way down the stairs. 

You only make it halfway down the steps when you catch her eye. You freeze in your tracks when you meet her icy stare. Your voice dies in your throat as you feel old wounds burn. They burn at the recollection of the last time you had met her gaze. Repressed memories push themselves to the forefront of your mind. Pain sings through your skull as you are bombarded with images- flash in your mind in rapid succession. The field, the swords, the blood.

You smother your emotions and force yourself back to the present, pulling your cowl further over your face. You aren’t ready. You’re not sure you’ll  _ ever  _ be ready. You rush right by them; your eyes stare forward, vacant. Absently your hand wanders to the long since faded scar on your cheek.

——

You weren’t sure how long you had been left waiting- minutes, hours, maybe a whole day passed without you knowing. You were growing restless, pacing the length of the cell, your thoughts racing a mile a minute. Any minute someone would come in to ‘make sure’ you were a forge master. You didn’t know what that would entail and you weren’t keen on finding out. 

Just then you heard someone approach, and you backed away from the bars. 

A small woman stood in front of you. She looked woefully out of place in this prison with a sweet- almost demure- smile. Her hair was red and stood out sharply against deathly pale skin. She wore a stark white fur cape over a blue dress. When your eyes met her bright red ones you could sense no malicious intent, no ulterior motives. You still kept your guard up. Despite her outward appearance she was a vampire- far stronger than you. 

“Hello there.” She greeted softly with a smile. 

“I take it you’re here to ensure I’m a forgemaster?” You asked immediately- jumping to the point. 

“Yes,” She answered, grabbing a chair from the warden's desk, “however I am also here to check on you- ensuring your needs are met.”

You watched as she set the chair in front of the bars of the cage. 

“After all, it’s my job as a diplomat to secure good connections with potential allies.” She continued gingerly sitting down. 

“Allies?” You asked skeptically, “I doubt you’d consider a human an ‘ally’ more than a piece of meat.”

“A human? No, but a forgemaster? That piques our interest.” She leaned closer, ”An army of night creatures would be invaluable to us.”

“But you don’t know if I’m a forgemaster.” You retorted

“Well, I’ll admit it- you hardly look the part of one.” She commented, giving you a once over. 

“I’m still learning.” You defended, crossing your arms over your chest self consciously. 

“Learning- meaning you weren’t always able to?” The vampire asked

“No. But like any magic I have the potential to learn it.” You explained, “only this magic is harder to understand.”

“Interesting.” The woman replied leaning closer, “So what made you choose to be a forgemaster? If you don’t mind me asking.”

An unpleasant feeling bubbled in your chest as you recalled what lead you down this path. The thought of your family and your town brought on disgust rather than nostalgia. The vampire must have noticed your discomfort because she changed the subject. 

“Did you know that magic and magic users have a unique aura to them?” She inquired

You raised a brow at that- wondering what had brought her to this topic. You hadn’t encountered many magicians in your travels. You didn’t notice anything about them or their ‘auras’. You didn’t think so anyway. Curious to see where she was going with this you waited for her to continue. 

“Well, the magic of a forgemaster is especially different- easier to notice.” She went on, “I can sense it on you- just barely.”

“And just how do you know all this?” You couldn’t imagine any normal diplomats knowing this much about magic. 

“Some of it comes with being a vampire.” She flashed her fangs, “But I did do some reading before coming here- we have an extensive library.”

You tried not to show your interest in the library. The implication of having books about forging have you excited- this is what you’ve been looking for. Would an alliance be that bad? Granted, the welcoming was… less than warm but they can give you resources. Resources to be a proper devil forgemaster. 

“If that’s everything I must be going. I need to tell the council my findings.” She stood and showed herself out. “I hope that- with time- you can consider us allies.”

She sent you a smile over her shoulder before she stepped through the door. 

Well, that was… weird. The whole night had been weird. Chased by villagers, captured by vampires, and now you’re going to help said vampires raise an army of night creatures. You rested your back against the floor, the cold, rough stone providing little comfort. You only got to relax for a few minutes before a guard stood before your cage. 

“Put this on.” He said tossing a plain grey nightgown at you. “You’re going to meet the council.”

You were excited to actually wear something, but that second sentence filled you with dread. You pulled the gown on and nervously followed the man out of the room. Through corridor after corridor you anxiously fidgeted with your hands, afraid of what this council had in store for you. You kept walking until the guard stopped in front of an impressive set of oak doors. He knocked and waited for a response. 

“Come in.” A voice answered. 

The doors were pushed open to reveal a war room of sorts. 

A large desk sat in the middle of the room with four chairs sat on each side. Each was taken by a vampiric woman. A dark skinned woman in extravagant glue and gold clothes sat on the right, beside her was the imposing Slavic one from before. Then, there was the red headed one from before, she waved at you. And finally there was an albino woman in a red dress, with striking blue eyes. 

All at once you felt their gaze pierce you- dissecting you. 

“So you say this thing is a forgemaster?” The albino asked the woman beside her, looking you up and down, “Are you sure this isn’t another excuse to bring in another stray?”

“Yes, I wouldn’t have brought her in otherwise.” She pouted, “However, there’s a bit of a problem.”

“And just  _ what _ is the problem?” The white haired vampire asked, frustration growing in her voice. 

“She lacks experience,” She began, “however I believe if she’s given the right assets she can become an invaluable tool in our goal to secure more land for our kingdom.”

The pale woman strode up to you and you felt yourself shrink back every so slightly. She paced around you, appraising your worth before settling back in front of you. She took your jaw into her hand, forcing you to meet her stare. You couldn’t help but tremble slightly when her talon-like nails grazed your cheek. 

“I  _ suppose _ it will clean up nicely enough.” Her nail cut just below your right cheekbone and you suppress a yelp. 

“So are we keeping her?” The redhead piped up. 

“I suppose so.” Answered the aristocratic woman, seemingly bored, “Though, should it show no signs of progress we put it with the rest of the cattle.”

You almost grimaced at the thought.

“Are we all agreement, sisters?” The albino asked, turning to the rest of the council. The council gave their affirmation but you couldn’t relax- not while you were still being gripped by the vampire. The woman in question turned to your escort. 

“Allow it access to books on the subject of forgemaster’s magic. Feed it twice a day.” She ordered pushing you away. “Dismissed.”

The guard bowed and you clumsily bowed with him and followed him out the door. The second it closed behind you, you relaxed your shoulders. Your shoulders sagged as you let go of the breath you didn’t know you were holding. 

You were led back to a different cell block; a noticeably nicer one, though. It had a hay bed with a blanket thrown over it along with a beat up desk in the corner. 

_ You hoped it was the start of good things.  _


	3. Hitting the Books

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Locked in a room given all the knowledge you could ever want on your craft. Under any other conditions it would be ideal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya, it’s me the op here to give you guys another chapter. This one’s a little dull cause it’s mostly just you trying to Learn and trying not to trust Lenore. Also fuck if I have to write book one more time I’ll become illiterate.  
> Didn’t proofread this so if y’all catch any mistakes comment em and let me know.

**Y** our footsteps echo through the halls of Dracula’s castle. The sprawling maze of corridors were empty with the exception of the odd patrol walking by. 

Today you are visiting the forgemaster Hector. 

Most of the halls of the lower levels see even less traffic than the others. Many were put off by the behaviour of the forgemasters that roam them. You are the exception though. You often find yourself talking to Hector. Asking him about the process of forging and how it works. You could tell he takes a great deal of pride in his night creatures by how he talks about them and the magic. You liked him because he’s more animated- alive- than the other inhabitants of the castle. Of course you have nothing but respect for Isaac but he never seemed interested in idle chatter. 

You stand in the doorway to Hector’s workspace and knock. The man stops cleaning his tools and turns to you, a small smile on his face. 

“Hey, do you need something?” He asks

“I just had some more questions about forging.” You lean against the doorframe. 

He hums and gestures for you to come in. You step inside and pull down your cowl. You wander around the room before settling beside the forge master. Looking around you look to the bookshelf to your right. Idly, you notice the books that line the bookshelves. Books on magic theory, necromancy, and alchemy. Fascinating subjects, you wonder if Hector would let you borrow one sometime. 

“If I may ask,” You turn your attention to the blond as he spoke, “why are you so interested in forging? I mean you’re a vampire- you can’t exactly do this kind of magic.”

“You know, I was human once too, not too long ago.” You almost whisper, “I was learning to be a forge master- like Isaac and yourself.”

You go quiet. Sorrow etches it’s way across your features and you cast your gaze down. Your shoulders sag with a heavy sigh. It’s been almost two years and you still mourn the life you had lived. 

“I’m sorry.” The human gives you an apologetic look. “Did you ever fully learn how to do it?”

“Yes,” You answer softly, “but I wasn’t anywhere near Isaac and your’s level.”

“I see…” Hector mutters, “So what was your qu-“

“May I speak to Hector alone for a moment?” A smooth voice interrupts. 

_The rain, the pain, the sword, her scream._

You don’t need to look to know who it was. You feel ice settle in your veins as your hands shake ever so slightly. You pull your hood back up and tensely spin on your heel. You walk out silently, giving Carmilla a quick bow before swiftly rushing off. 

_God, will you ever be able to just talk to her?_

——

“Nope.” You muttered, sorting through the pile of books that were unceremoniously dumped onto your desk. 

A day or two has passed since your arrival here. 

True to their word the council had provided you with the books you needed to further understand magic. However it was rarely done well. You were certain they just had whatever soldier go through the library and pick out random books on the subject of magic and the occult. So now you were left with a haphazard stack of books containing various works of fiction and non-fiction. 

Some of the texts you had come across were promising- a few studies written by magicians, a few books on demons and the likes by the Belmont family. Others were little more than church propaganda that condemned the use of anything beyond its understanding. You dropped another into the growing pile of useless books beside you. 

So many works, yet so few are unbiased. 

“Hello again.”

You jumped and almost fell out of your seat at the sudden noise. You heard a chuckle and turned to the source and it was the woman from before- the diplomat. You relaxed slightly and let out a sigh. 

“I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced.” She spoke, “I’m Lenore.”

She reached a hand through the bars and extended it to you. You stared at it for a second before tentatively taking it into your own and telling her your name. Lenore grinned widely as you shook hands, flashing sharp fangs. 

“What do you have there?” The redhead asked, pulling away. 

“Books on magic.” You couldn’t help but relax when you pulled your hand away from hers, “A lot of them are garbage.”

You punctuated that sentence by tossing another book into the useless pile. The woman clicked her tongue at that. 

“I’ll see what can be done about that.” She assured you. “How do you like your new arrangements?”

“Well, it’s not the worst place I’ve been.” You muttered. “ _Traveling_ does wonders to your standards.” You added sarcastically. 

“‘Traveling’?” At that her eyes sparked with interest. “Ever see anything interesting in your travels?”

“I’ve seen many things- few of them are pleasant.” You scoffed, “Besides, I’d hardly call it traveling if you’re constantly being chased by a mob.”

“Come on, you _must_ have one positive experience.” Implored the vampire with a pout. 

You thought for a minute, then two. You were almost startled by the lack of any actually _good_ experiences with people. More often than not people only encountered you while you were looking for food or practicing your magic. The latter ended with you being chased off. 

Your mind wandered to a person you had met a while back. 

“There was a baker’s assistant.” You pieced together a memory, “She was always getting in trouble with the baker.”

She was a sweet woman, though her kindness was rarely appreciated by the man she worked for. She would slip the poorer families food and sweets before sending them on their way. You remembered how she gave you a piece of bread after finding you digging around in their trash. 

A fond smile stretched across your lips as you recalled how she’d always swipe you blueberry pastries. 

‘You shouldn’t get in trouble just for me.’ You had told her one night after noticing seeing her getting scolded by the baker for stealing. 

‘Oh but I like trouble.’ She replied with a grin. 

“See- the world’s not all bad.” Lenore seemed satisfied with the story so far.

“It’s not all good either.” You retort softly

You never got to say goodbye to her- you were chased out too soon. There were times where you’d try to work up the courage to sneak into town and see her. You were certain she’d never speak to you after being gone so long you doubted she’d even recognize you. 

You fell into a somber silence, stewing in your bittersweet memories. 

“I suppose I’ll leave you to your work then.” The woman said gently, “See you tomorrow.”

“Okay, bye.” You whispered mostly to yourself. You pushed up your sleeves and threw yourself back into your work. The rest of the night was uneventful. The sun was rising as you had finished sorting through the mass of texts, reading until you crashed into your mat. 

You awoke in the evening, the light long gone from the horizon and the bitter chill of winter had set in. Groggily you propped yourself up on your elbows letting the book on your chest to slide off. 

You read the spine- magic theory. Ah, magic theory- you had only known of it for a short while and already you’ve grown to loathe it. You found it to be well out of your range of understanding. _Incredibly_ boring too. 

You stretched your arms and rolled your shoulders. Your whole back felt awful- you arched it and heard the clicks and pops of the various joints. The straw and blanket you slept on offered little comfort through your sleep. 

You had only sat up when a figure stood by your cell. 

“Breakfast.” The gruff voice spoke, throwing a lump of- what you assumed to be- bread at you. 

You hobbled over and picked it up off the ground, brushing the dirt off. You tapped it experimentally. 

_Tak tak._ It sounded completely solid. 

“What is this _shit_ ? _Stone_?” You hissed. A defeated sigh left you as you bit into it. Cringing at the crunchy texture. You set the “food” down on the corner of your desk. 

Back to reading you supposed. You opened the book on the top of the pile: A Belmont’s bestiary. You hoped it’d be a step up from your last read. You went on to read pages upon pages about various night creatures and the likes. They explain the basics of where they come from, how they're made, and what’s most effective against them. You’d kill to have your journal with you so you could take notes. 

You were so invested you failed to notice the hours go by. You hadn’t noticed Lenore when she came in until she stepped into the edge of your vision. Dressed in the same light blue dress she’d always been in. 

“Good evening! I brought you something.” She greeted cheerily, her arms behind her- clearly hiding something. 

“Alright.” You dogeared your page and faced her- an eyebrow raised. “What do you have for me?”

She held up a wicker basket, removing the covering to reveal pastries. 

“They’re blueberry.” The vampire mentioned, “Like the ones you told me about. You can have one if you're hungry.”

She added on that last bit when she saw the untouched bread on the corner of your desk. 

“I’ll take one.” You tried to curb your excitement but you couldn’t suppress the smile when she placed a dessert in your hand. You inspected it for a second before taking a bite. 

“Holy shit.” You muttered before quickly eating the rest of the pastry. After a week of eating garbage this was definitely a welcome change. 

“That good, huh?” The redhead teases. You flushed lightly, embarrassed. 

“Thank you.” You breathed. 

“Of course- I only want to help you.” She replied sweetly. 

_Too_ sweet. 

“So, what do you want?” You eyed her with suspicion. 

“What do you mean?” She asked innocently. 

“The books were a necessity in order for me to help you and your people.” You gestured to the pile of books on the desk. You tugged the collar of the night gown. 

“The clothes are necessary because you can’t have a person walking around practically naked during the winter. But this-?” You pointed to the pastries, “ is a luxury- a treat, and no one just gives without wanting something in return.” You raved, “ _So, what is it?_ ”

The woman looked a little shocked by your outburst but she was quick to recover. 

“There is no _catch_ .” She assured you, “ _Some_ of us would prefer to be _friends_ with our allies.”

You examined her, searching for any signs of cruelty. You were frightened that there were none to be found- she either meant what she said or she was an excellent liar. You didn’t like the implications of the second option. You wouldn’t be this worried if she openly hated you. You wouldn’t be worried because you’d know for sure she would betray you and it would be less scary. 

“Would you like another?” Her voice pulled you out of your thoughts. 

“... Yes.” You answered defeatedly- your hunger getting the better of you. She dropped you another tart and you were quick to snap it up. 

“So, have you read anything interesting yet?” Asked Lenore. 

“Nothing much.” You answered, shuffling pages around, “Just a few things on night creatures. Though, I have a question.”

“Of course, what is it?” The redhead asked. 

“Say I do end up learning how to summon. Say I’m ready to make your army- how do you know I wouldn’t betray you?”

You watched the gears turned in her head as she processed your question. 

“We’re not sure yet.” She answered softly, “Quite frankly we don’t even expect you to truly be what you say you are.”

The answer held no comfort for you. You sunk into your chair and stared defeatedly at the ever shifting pile of texts. Doubt began to consume your thoughts and you found yourself fidgeting. 

_God, could you even pull this off?_

Lenore must have noticed your distress because she offered you another tart. You took it silently, gazing to her and finding a sympathetic smile on her lips. Only time would tell. 


	4. Bound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day had finally come, you were going to be tested for your abilities as a forgemaster. Or so you were told.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s your new chapter hope you guys enjoy. As always this hasn’t been proofread so if anyone catches any errors let me know.   
> Have a nice day and stay safe out there.

**Y** ou’ve made it a point to actively avoid Carmilla. Taking odd shifts, walking through the less traveled rooms and corridors all in order to avoid one woman. You feel ridiculous doing this, you should talk to her, you should explain everything! 

_ If only you weren’t such a  _ **_coward_ ** _.  _

You’re doing your patrols, mindlessly walking through the halls of the castle. Your thoughts drift seamlessly between your current predicament and Carmilla. She has only been here a few weeks and she’s already causing quite a stir. You wonder what your dreamer is planning. 

Though, your thoughts come to a jaring halt when you see a figure stepping out into the corridor. 

Carmilla. 

You freeze midstep, locking eyes with her. Just your luck. Just your  _ fucking  _ luck. You shake yourself out of your stupor and turn on your heel, ready to briskly walk away.

“Stop.” You hear her order, the same cold voice you remember. 

You stop dead in your tracks but you didn’t dare turn around. You swear you can feel your heart pounds against your ribcage as she draws near. 

“Ever since I came here you’ve been avoiding me.” She paces in front of you, “Don’t think that I don’t notice how you seem to panic whenever we’re in the same room. How you never meet my eyes. Who are you?” 

It sounds less like a question and more of a demand. 

“I u-uh,” Your words die in your throat and leave a tight feeling in their wake. 

The woman was losing her patients- her eyes narrow as she takes the collar of your cloak into an iron grasp. She pushes you against the wall and lifts you off your feet. Your heart stutters in your chest as you meet her piercing gaze. 

God, maybe you should tell her. 

You open your mouth to speak but no noise comes out. You gape at her like a fish out of water as your brain went into overdrive trying to form a sentence. You watch as a man in white Styrian armour approaches her. 

“Lady Carmilla, Dracula is calling for a war meeting in the grand hall.” He announces, bowing to the woman. 

“Can it wait?” Carmilla shoots him an annoyed look, you sigh in relief as her focus is pulled away from you. 

“I’m afraid not- he said it was important.” He answers, his voice gaining an edge of urgency. 

“Very well, but it better be fast.” She hisses angrily as she drops you to the floor. She storms off, her guard in pursuit trying to give her a report. Leaving alone to pick up the pieces. Still reeling from the whole ordeal, you adjust your cloak on your shoulders and stand upon unsteady legs. 

_ What were you going to do with yourself? _

——

Over the course of the last few weeks you had dedicated almost every waking hour to learning what you could about your craft. You learned everything from night creature anatomy to misconceptions with necromancy. You were excited to put this all to use. 

“Hey.” Lenore greeted, holding a basket under her arm. “I brought you something!”

“Hey Lenore.” You smiled at her. 

You had the feeling she had been trying to earn your affection- she seemed eager to get on your good side. You would have to be blind to not notice the way she asked about your studies, the way she’d always go above and beyond your needs. If you hadn’t known any better you’d say she fancied you. But that would be crazy,  _ right? _ Regardless if there were any kind ulterior motives it was nice to be doted on like this.  Though you weren’t sure how you felt about her, personally, given that you were supposedly her prisoner. Sure, she had shown you nothing but kindness and consideration but she is still one of your jailers. 

_ But you would have to admit, she was rather attractive.  _

“I brought you some fish since today is a bit of an occasion.” She explained, retrieving a small plate. 

  
  


You reached for it, but she pulled it away before you could even touch it. You pouted at her, she shot back a grin as she took out a fork and knife from the basket and cut up the meat. You watched as she took some of the fish onto the fork and held it up to your lips. 

“Oh.” You muttered, a blush spreading across your cheeks. You gingerly took a bite and you were immediately rewarded with the taste of pepper and citrus. You hummed, content with a nice hot meal. 

“Good girl.” She teased patting your head. You let her feed you the rest of the fish, falling into a steady rhythm before it was finished. 

“So, what’s the occasion?” You asked curiously. 

“We’re letting you try your magic.” She replied, opening the door. 

Your eyes lit up at her answer- you were so excited. The prospect of finally applying your knowledge had you almost giddy. You briefly wondered if they’d let you have your notebook after this. 

“Come on then.” Lenore beckoned, pulling out a collar and lead. 

Confusion etched its way across your features as you looked to her with a raised brow. Was it supposed to be for you?

“Sorry, Striga’s orders.” The woman hardly looked sorry as she dangled it in front of you. You eyed it with distaste before tentatively letting her place it around your neck. She clipped the lead to the D ring with a satisfied grin. 

“Great!” She gushed, “Lets go.”

You gave her a nervous smile and let her guide you to wherever you were heading, absently you tugged the edge of the collar. 

_ Too tight.  _

Suddenly you were back in your family’s home, your father standing over you- your mind racing, wondering what you did  _ wrong.  _ You did what he asked you but it didn’t work- not how he wanted it to anyway. You hadn’t noticed you stopped moving until you felt a gentle tug on the collar. Slowly, you were pulled back into the present- Lenore had turned to look at you, concerned in her eyes. 

“Are you alright?” She asked, a hand moving to your shoulder. 

“I-I just- could you loosen this for me?” Your voice was soft- almost timid- a far cry from your tone from earlier. 

“Of course.” She replied, already moving to adjust it. “You could have said something earlier.”

“I know I just- I-“ You struggled to form the words as her hands brushed your throat. 

“Hey, you’re alright, I’m right here.” She assured, giving your arm a light squeeze. 

“Thank you.” You breathed subconsciously leaning into her touch. With a gentle hand she ushered you through a set of doors. 

It was a forge. 

A more conventional one by the looks of it- a large coal burning forge late in the middle. Metal working implements were scattered across most of the tables. On the largest middle table was a corpse, and with it your gloves- neatly folded beside the head. Excitedly you rushed forward, eager to feel the familiar leather on your skin. You held them with the utmost care, checking them for any tampering. 

“Wait.” Said Lenore as she strode up to you, “Put this on.”

She handed you a ring. You took it, cautiously inspecting it.

It didn’t look like much. A small red and black band, looked to fit around your middle finger. But that’s when you felt it. There was something  _ arcane  _ in nature about this ring, you couldn’t quite place it. 

“It’s a binding ring.” The vampire explained as though she read your mind. “It’s nothing too serious, it’s mostly just to ensure your magic doesn’t get out of control.”

You hummed. That made sense- you had read up on a few incidents where creatures rejected the master’s will. Surely this had to be both your sakes. 

_ Like a fool you believed her.  _

You slid the ring onto your left hand, admiring it for a moment. Then suddenly, it hit you all at once. White hot pain arced from your hand all the way up your arm and across your back. It felt like a brand had burned ribbons all across the expanse of your body and cantered on your hand. Blinded by the pain your hands scrambled across the stone floor desperate for some kind of purchase. 

Distantly felt a hand rubbing slow circles on your back, a feeble attempt at comfort. The immediate pain subsided and you were left heaving on the ground. Your vision returned too, blurred and disoriented. 

“Shhhh, it’s okay.” You were able to see Lenore kneel in front of you. She cradled your face in her cool hands. You looked up at her with teary eyes and she gives you an assuring smile that did nothing to ease your panic. Your body went lax and you felt yourself being caught before taken into a bridal carry. 

“The hard part’s over now.” You heard her soothe as you drifted off into a restless sleep. 

You weren’t sure where you were when you finally came to. The first thing you noticed was the dull ache that ran across the length of your body. The second was that you were on something much softer than your previous bed. You cracked your eyes open but you were immediately overwhelmed by a splitting migraine. You groaned as you sat up, carefully resting your back against the headboard. 

Slowly but surely you managed to peel your eyes open. You were in your “room”, only now with an actual bed in it. Everything else besides the bed remained untouched save for your desk which now had your bag and notepad on it. Under any normal circumstances you’d be grateful. 

Under  _ normal _ circumstances. 

“Oh, you’re awake.” Lenore stood by your cell, looking as innocuous as usual, “Do you like your gift?”

Frantically you looked to your hand, ignoring the piercing headache. Sure enough the band was still there. Instinctively you tried to take it off; but you were met with a sharp jolt that numbed your hand. You hissed, clutching your hand to your chest. 

“What the fuck did you do to me?” You snarled, tears stinging in your eyes. 

“Nothing that I hadn’t said we were going to do.” The mask of pleasantries was stubborn on her face. She held up her hand showing you a matching ring to yours. “That ring binds you- and your magic- to me and my sisters.”

“I was already loyal to you. I had no reason to go against you or your sisters. So why this?” You gestured bitterly to the band. 

“To ensure that you are… obedient.”

The way she said ‘ _ obedient _ ’ sent a shiver down your spine. A sinking feeling told you that you were akin to a new pet to her. And with the way she looked at you, you didn’t doubt it. 

“Now that we have your unwavering loyalty we can test your abilities for real.” She answered smoothly, “If you behave everything else will come naturally.” 

“And if I don’t?” You asked coldly, a spark of defiance in your chest. 

“The ring will compel you.” She didn’t elaborate beyond that, but the gleam in her eye was telling. You already had a taste of how it compelled and you weren’t too keen on testing it again. 

“I’m afraid I must be going now.” The redhead stated, rising from her seat. “I’ll be back later to bring you lunch.”

With that she walked out the door- leaving you to process your emotions. You hobbled your way to your desk, pulling out your notebook and charcoal. 

_ If you wanted to get out of this alive you needed to get to work. _


	5. Trial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally you’re made to summon a night creature.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aye guys it’s me, the OP here t’give you guys your next chapter. Thank you guys so much for the comments they’re really encouraging and push me to write more content for you guys. As always I never really proofread this so if you catch any mistakes let me know. 
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading and I hope you guys stay safe out there!

**T** he best part of being a faceless soldier is how easily you could be ignored. Guards are so often seen around that they almost become background noise to the goings on of the keep. It gives you the perfect opportunities to listen in on all the interesting gossip people so kindly share. 

You sat out the last meeting to avoid another confrontation with Carmilla for obvious reasons. 

There’s no doubt in your mind- she was onto you or at least suspicious of you. You aren’t sure how much of your face she saw, however you have a feeling she could pick you out from the crowd. Meaning you weren’t there to hear what the generals are planning to do first hand. Luckily, vampires gossip just as much- if not more than- regular people. You hear all kinds of whispers through these halls. 

“ _Dracula’s lost his mind- he doesn’t even care about blood anymore”_

You’re inclined to agree, with how he’s been acting as of late you wouldn’t be surprised if he had stopped feeding. Ever since the death of his wife he’s just been a mess- and he’s been getting worse. You figure it’s a matter of time before he steps down from leadership and has one of his forgemasters take his place. There was no doubt in your mind that they could be just as ruthlessly efficient at exterminating the rest of humanity. 

You also hear of possible plans to attack Braila. It makes sense to attack it; taking down a major port would be catastrophic to the remaining human population. But the city was only accessible through a bridge. The issue was that the bridge could easily be destroyed and throw us to the mercy of the rushing water. It would be a gamble- you had heard that running water could kill a vampire, you’re not sure if that’s really true but you weren’t keen on finding out.

You learn that the plan to attack Braila was Carmilla’s and you aren’t particularly shocked. There’s something more going on here, call it a sixth sense, call it love but you knew her better than anyone. She was always the visionary type- ambitious and always scheming. You suppose that’s what you loved the most about her. 

_You wonder what she’s planning with all of this._

——

You sulked around your cell since Lenore’s betrayal. 

You hadn’t spoken a word to her in the last few days and you intended to keep it that way despite her best attempts. She would still stop by, still try to strike up conversation but she never seemed to want to force it. She still brought you food that wasn’t stale or mouldy. She would wait for you to talk, sitting just on the other side of the bars. You had a feeling it was less out of courtesy and more out of her choosing a path of least resistance. You were curious- how long would she wait before she’d resort to confrontation? It couldn’t be forever, even as an ageless vampire, her patience wouldn’t outlive you. 

You glanced at her through the bars of your cage and she sent you a warm smile that only left you feeling nervous. She was little more than a predator in waiting, waiting for your guard to slip to go in for the kill. 

_Then again there were worse fates than death._ You thought, eyeing the glass in the vampire’s hand. There was something different about today- you could see it in her. She was happy as ever despite your silence, despite the weary looks you gave her. She looked almost excited. Her excitement is only a cause for concern to you. 

She was up to something- something that involved you. 

“I’m afraid I must be going.” Lenore’s voice derailed your thoughts. As usual she rose out of her seat and left through the door. Unlike her typical routine she stops by the warden's desk and whispers something to him. He nods in response before going back to reading. 

Dread settled into your stomach as you fretted over what fresh hell she had in store this time. You eyed the man cautiously, he merely kept reading his novel. He glanced over at you and you quickly pretended to be working; from the corner of your eye you saw him shrug his shoulder and resume his story. Your worry only grew as the seconds passed. The seconds turned into minutes, minutes became maybe two hours of overthinking. 

You had to be overthinking right? It was probably just nothing! You tried to calm yourself down. Any attempt at soothing yourself was quickly made null by the warden suddenly getting out of his seat. He moved wordlessly to your cell and within seconds the iron gate was unlocked and opened with a rusty creak. 

You tensed as he stepped in and gripped your shoulder, basically dragged you out. All but gently you were shoved forward. A part of you bristled at the rough treatment but you knew better than to snap at him. You were jerked to the side suddenly and thrown through one of the many doors that lined the walls. You struggled to right yourself and ended up falling flat on your chest with a groan. 

You cracked your eyes open and you were met with the undercroft again. The large furnace in the back of the room was a dead giveaway. 

Everything was just as you left it. The dust laid undisturbed on the floor and tables. Your gloves are in the exact spot you remember. The corpse was right where it was before. You were suddenly acutely aware of the ring on your hand as you surveyed the room. 

“You better not have been wasting our time with this Lenore.” The regal voice made you jump. You quickly scrambled to your feet and dusted yourself off. 

Off to the side stood the council, you could feel their collective gaze dissecting you. The snowy haired woman in particular’s eyes were cold and unyielding as the floor beneath you.

“Carmilla, I assure you, this will work.” Chimed the red head, “She hasn’t been studying all this time for nothing.”

You looked to her and she sent you a little wave. Disgust bubbled in your throat and you suppressed the urge to let it show on your face. You forced a neutral expression onto your face and took a deep breath. 

“Well?” Asked Carmilla, already losing her patience, “Get started.”

Tentatively you stalked your way to the central table. Each step closer made the stench of rot grow stronger and stronger. You crinkled your nose at the smell. It seemed that the cold temperature of the room was able to slow the decaying but it didn’t stop it entirely. Your hand around their way to the leather material of your gloves before shakily putting them on. 

_This was it- the moment of truth._

You gingerly placed your gloved hand over the body’s chest, and the other over its head. With a slow, shaky breath you tried to focus. You panicked when nothing seemed to happen. Your heart hammered against your ribs, your breaths became shallow and quick. 

_You knew you could do this- this is what you’ve been studying to do your whole fucking life._

You push yourself harder searching for some tether or catch to forge your connection to hell. But it was hard to focus with them staring, with your life on the line again. You whittled your field of view to the table in front of you, everything beyond that put out of focus. Desperately you pushed your thoughts from your mind. Ignored everything, the vampires, the cold, and the rot. 

  
  


The faintest glimmer became a spark as you felt yourself breathe life into the corpse. The runes and sigils on your gloves glow dimly before seeming to catch flame. However you didn’t feel it burn, in fact, it almost felt... cold. The red- almost pink- fire spread from your hands to the figure and eventually it became engulfed in the flames. 

You could only watch in a mix of awe and fear as the flesh began to shift and change. It grew taller, bones cracking and splintering as it took on a more monstrous shape. It sprouted inky black fur as its features became more and more lupine. Then flames eventually died down and you pulled away intrepidly. 

Your body immediately felt tired, sluggish. 

The creature twitched, before moving to sit upright in a series of jerky movements. In a second your fatigue was forgotten as it slid off the table and you were able to take a good look at it. 

It looked almost like the werewolves you had read of. _Almost_. It’s skin was pulled taut over angular bones and sinue. It’s fur looked more like dense spines the more you looked at it. It stood on its wolven haunches and was easily over seven feet tall. It stared down at you with its glowing blue-green eyes. It’s eyes matched the strange bioluminescent playing that ran along its shoulders and ribs. 

It surged forward on unfamiliar legs, you instinctively take a step back. It caught itself and towered over you, it’s silence infinitely more terrifying than any snarl. Your legs were shaking, you weren’t sure if it was the fear, the strain or the adrenaline but you felt ready to collapse at any second. The night creature stood before you for a beat longer before crouching down to kneel. You couldn’t hide the surprised laughter at the action. 

_You did it! You actually fucking did it! God of your father could see it now-_

Your internal gloating was interrupted by clapping. Lenore have you an enthusiastic round of applause and you immediately felt the taste of victory sour in your mouth. You watched as she was pulled into a quiet conversation with the other vampires. 

You returned your attention to your night creature which stood obediently in front of you. Cautiously you reached out to touch it’s shoulder. The most surprising part about the bone plating was that it felt hot, like a dark stone that was in the sun, it almost burned. 

“Who are you.” The voice echoed faintly with death. You met the creature’s eyes and took your hand away from its shoulder. 

“I’m, uh, I’m a forgemaster.” You mentally kicked yourself for stuttering. 

“Do I… _frighten you,_ dear forgemaster?” It asked, drawing near, giving you a great view of its maw of sharp teeth. You gulped nervously before answering b 

“I- well- yes? You’re rather…” You paused a moment looking for the right word, “Imposing.” 

“You should not be intimidated, for I am no more dangerous to you than the blade you carry.” It explained, “I am a weapon at _your_ disposal.”

The answer filled you with an unease rather than comfort. You smothered the emotion and pondered its words. It was a nice way to think about it- that night creatures were little more than repurposed souls, the damned given direction, given a second chance to do something they _wanted_. 

You were about to ask it’s name when Carmilla- if you weren’t mistaken- spoke. 

“If you’re quite done we’ve reached our verdict of what we’re going to do with you.” Her voice drawled, “We’ve decided to keep you around should you continue to give us our night creatures. However, should you prove unable to, you shall be put with the _other_ humans.”

Relieved you sigh breathlessly, leaning heavily against the stone work table. 

You could make this work, right? Just a few hundred night creatures in exchange for your life. That doesn’t sound so bad. 

_God who were you kidding_ . Doubt sang through your mind clearly. _You feel basically dead after summoning just one how the hell were you supposed to supply them with a whole army?_

_You were completely screwed,_ _weren’t you?_

  
  



	6. A Moment of Respite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You get a chance to relax after a long few days of forging.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo it’s me the op here again with your new chapter. This one coming in at 3.4k words. This one is especially unrevised so expect a few repeating words. 
> 
> I think the next chapter will be the last to have a present tense bit for just a bit there. I have something planned for when Carmilla overthrows Dracula that’ll parallel to something that happened in the past. 
> 
> Getting real close to 100 kudos, Lemme know what you guys want to celebrate, smut, fluff angst, Ill do whatever’s most demanded.

_**D** espite her mistrust in you, you’re still drawn to her_

Carmilla is just as untouchable as before- if not more so. You don't know where to begin. She’s less focused on you now, occupied with setting things in motion. More often than not she’s talking to Hector or their others in the court. What she was doing was something you still couldn’t figure it out. 

But you miss her. 

You sigh wistfully as you follow her. You wonder if you’ll ever really be able to summon the nerve to tell her. Tell her who you are, tell her what happened. You doubt she would truly forgive you- if she even forgives you at all. 

She turns around suddenly and you dive behind a pillar, almost knocking a vase over in the process. You clutch it tightly before it has the chance to fall. You stand deathly still against the stone listening carefully. Fuck, did she see you?

“Whoever’s been following me kindly piss the fuck off I’m not in the mood for this.” She grits out harshly. 

You press your back further against the wall, still listening. She lingers a few beats before letting out a displeased huff and returning to her business. You wait a few minutes before peeling yourself away from the pillar. The hall was clear now, you cautiously slink off back to your room. 

You will tell her. You assure yourself. You’ll tell her and everything will be fine. 

You know they’re hollow promises but that didn’t make them any less comforting. 

——

The last few days had been draining. 

You had been moved to the undercroft. With your cot, desk and research had been shoved off into the corner while you were carted bodies to be made into monsters. The pile of corpses had begun to grow- with it the smell. The scent of rot had gotten so bad that you had to take an apron and fashion it into a mask of sorts. Of course, it didn’t do much for the smell but you supposed it was better than nothing. 

You sighed wearily as you heaved a new body onto the table. As time went on you were glad that you had chosen gloves to bear the runes. You doubted you’d be as happy to do this if you had to touch these things with your bare hands. 

You placed a hand over the cadaver’s head and another onto its chest. 

Well, you got what you wanted, didn’t you? You were a forgemaster now and that’s all that mattered. The corpse jerked to life under your touch. 

It features twisted into almost a gargoyle like creature. Whatever it was, you couldn’t really focus well enough to really bother to identify it. You pointed it to a set of doors, half-assedly willing it to go through them. 

The creature let out a garbled snarl before stomping off to the room. 

You were exhausted. Your arms ached and your back protested every movement you made. You leaned heavily against the workbench. 

“You look like you could use a break.” Lenore’s voice chirped from somewhere in the room. You couldn’t really discern where her voice came from and quite frankly you couldn’t bring yourself to care. Your breaths grew shallow as your vision tunneled. 

“Are you alright?” She asked, concern laced her voice. You couldn’t answer her, too busy trying to stay awake and alive. She could clearly see your distress and was quick to react. 

“Come on, let’s get you to bed.” She soothed. With a startling ease she swept your legs out from under you and carried you to your cot. You were too tired to fight against her hold. You were gently laid into your bed, the sheet tossed over you. 

“Is this any better?” The redhead implored, brushing your hair from your face. “You really should be careful, you’ll burn yourself out at this rate.”

You rolled your eyes, making a noncommittal noise at the back of your throat. 

As if she cared. All they wanted was a forgemaster- another tool at their disposal. Your humanity was simply an unfortunate part of the equation. You were about to bite back a response but a new voice interrupted you. 

“Christ it smells absolutely terrible in here.” Carmilla stood in the doorway to the undercroft, disgusted etched onto her features as she covered her nose. “Lenore, are you seriously trying to bed the forgemaster here?”

Her voice took on a sharper edge when she glared at the two of you. You flushed at the accusation, stumbling over your words. Lenore was quick to cut you off. 

“She’s exhausted, she’s been doing nothing forging all week.” The woman explained, her hand moving to cover yours, “She needs to rest.”

“If it’s been working all week then why are there only a dozen or so night creatures.” Scoffed the albino. 

“Well, forging is a lot of work. Plus she’s not like us- she’s only human- she needs to relax, she needs to rest.” Lenore offered you a sympathetic look. Her sympathy meant little to you. She spoke as if you weren’t even there in the room with her. Briefly you wondered if they even considered you autonomous or if they just deemed your thoughts that unimportant. 

Regardless it was starting to grow tiresome. 

“I don’t care that it’s human,” Carmilla replied through grit teeth, “it’s a forgemaster. It will raise our army, it’s life depends on it.”

“She’s not a machine, Carmilla!” The shorter woman let out a frustrated huff, sitting there a moment before making a proposition. “How about we work something out?”

Carmilla seemed to mull it over, looking to you briefly, then back to Lenore who only looked at her pleadingly. She let it an exhausted sigh as she breathed out a curt, ‘fine’. The redhead cheered excitedly. 

“But we’re not talking here- if I have to endure this pit any longer I’ll go mad.” She interrupted. The pale woman quickly turned on her heel and made her exit, impatiently beckoning the other vampire to follow. Lenore shot you a grin and waved goodbye as she promptly chased after Carmilla. Distantly you can hear her telling the taller woman to wait up. 

You sunk further down into your bed with a sigh. Here you were, everything you wanted to be with none of the comfort that came with it. There were so many things you still wanted to do. You wanted to meet other forgemasters. You wanted to understand what happened to forged bodies from a scientific standpoint. But more than anything in the world- You wanted to raze your hometown to the ground. 

You knew you wouldn’t get your closure now. You wouldn’t taste vengeance- not anytime soon at least. For now you needed to keep your head down and focus on working. You needed to bide your time and look for a way out of here. If that’s even possible. 

Your eyes fluttered shut briefly, when you opened them it was later into the night. You sat up- startled. You could have sworn you had only just blinked. How long had you been out?

“Oh good, you’re awake!” Lenore said, moving from her spot by your desk, “So, I've got some good news and some bad news.”

She knelt down beside you. 

“The good news is that we agreed to give you time off.” You felt relieved at the statement. You were more than happy to be able to have breaks without having to worry about being turned into livestock. “The bad news is you now have to sit in on our war council’s meetings.” 

“What? Why?” Was your immediate response. You didn’t know anything about strategy, about planning- what good could you possibly do? 

“Well, no one knows night creatures better than you,” Lenore countered after a beat, “Plus a fresh pair of eyes is always good to have on your plans.”

“Fine.” You grumbled, “Fine, I’ll attend your meetings; when are they?”

“Great! There’s going to be one in about two hours!” She chirped excitedly, “But first you’re going to need a bath.”

You looked down at yourself- she had a point. Your arms and hands were well stained by old blood and dirt and you undoubtedly smelled like sweat and corpses. Definitely not a good combination. You decided that a proper bath would be nice. 

“Alright,” You found yourself saying, “sounds good.”

The vampire grinned ecstatically as she took your hand and led you to the baths. A set of extravagant wood doors were thrown open to reveal a large bathroom. It had smooth textile flooring, with mosaics stretching the surface. A large, marble, tub sat in the center, steam rising from it. The bathtub accompanied by a table cluttered with an assortment of colourful bottles. Oils of some kind you presumed. 

Christ when was the last time you even had the chance at a warm bath?

Intrepidly you touched the marble, almost cautious of it being ripped out from under you. You looked to Lenore who was only a few paces behind you. 

“Well? Aren’t you going to get in?” She asked teasingly, crossing her arms. 

“Aren’t you going to turn around while I undress?” You shot back. 

“I don’t see what the problem is, there isn’t much I haven’t seen before.” She said easily, the sly glint not leaving her eyes. 

“Uh, yes, however, I would prefer to keep my body private?” Your answer sounded more like a question as you suppressed a blush. Suddenly awkward you fidget slightly. 

“I wouldn’t want to invade your privacy. Unless you happen to want me to.” She flirted, leaning in close, “But if that’s what you want.”

She let out a dramatic sigh as she turned her back to you, hopefully not catching the fluster that had probably reached down to your chest. You collected yourself and made quick work of your dress and smallclothes. You gently set them aside before carefully climbing into the bath. Immediately your tense muscles relaxed in the warmth. 

“Would you mind tilting your head back? I need to see to your hair.” The redhead requested taking a seat behind you. And just like that the tension returned twofold. Stiffly you rested your head against the cold marble, it wasn’t unlike the stonelike touch of the vampire. Immediately she got to work. 

You felt her clawed hands carded through the tangled mess of hair on your head. The care she took was impressive- you could admit that much. However your mind was more focused on how easily she could end your life right here, a simple slash of her nails and you’d be done for. 

You almost jumped when you felt her nails delicately scrape your scalp as she combed in the oils. Lenore carried on with your hair either uncaring or unaware of your crisis. 

“Here, you should clean yourself off.” The vampire offered you a rag, her voice taking on a suggestive note, “And if you want I could wash your back.”

You looked at her incredulously, seeing that she was serious you nervously declined. She pouted shortly before shrugging it off. 

“Alright then,” She sighed, “I suppose I’ll pick out some clothes for you in the meantime.”

With that she left in a flash. 

You sunk deeper into the water savouring the warmth before scrubbing off the stubborn dirt from your skin. You submerged yourself to rinse off what remained. You slicked your hair back and rested against the marble once more. 

You circle back to your thoughts from before. Ruminating on where you stood now, as a forgemaster. You were given all you needed, all the cadavers you wanted. All without having to worry about the church. But none of it was truly for you. In fact the act of forging itself no longer felt like yours given that you only did it for them to reach their goals. 

The cage you were put in was so wonderfully gilded but at the end of the day it was still a cage. The band on your finger was a constant reminder of that. It stung gently every waking hour- thrumming with arcane energy. 

They would keep you here, but to what end you wondered. After they bolstered their numbers and they seized their land. After they conquered and crushed everyone in their way, what would be left for you? You doubted they’d just let you go- the ring was proof enough of that. They couldn’t just kill you outright after the fact either lest they wanted to deal with feral night creatures. 

Quite the predicament for both sides here.

A soft knock came at the door and you sunk further into the tub. Lenore stepped in with her arms full of clothing. She closed the door behind her and presented the clothes she picked out. 

“I’m back! And with plenty of options to choose from.” She said with a flourish, “If you’re done I have some towels here to dry yourself off.”

She set said towels down on the table beside you. You were swift to swipe them and climb out of the tub, wrapping the soft fabric around yourself. You went to work drying off your hair, you felt her eyes wander your form and ignored the urge to snap at her. Satisfied with your hair you draped the towel over your shoulders and looked at her expectantly. She pulled herself out of her stupor and held up the outfits for you to look at. You inspected them keenly. 

The first outfit was a simple light green dress much like the one you had on before. It was long, about to your ankles; with short sleeves. There no flair or extravagance to it besides a small bit of embroidery on the left side of the chest. Small white flowers stitched with care into the fabric. Though you weren’t particularly excited to go back into a dress. 

The next article was another dress; this one was an exceptional make. It was a deep red colour with intricate lacework along the neckline and chest. It’s fabric was coarse and stiff against your skin. Definitely not your style. 

Then there was a set of men’s formal wear- a dark green tailcoat with a ruffled white shirt. They were paired with tight black trousers. Much like the dress it was pretty to look at but very uncomfortable to the touch. 

The final outfit presented was an off-white long sleeved tunic matched with brown pants. The shirt was a soft cotton material while the trousers were some kind of coarse fabric you couldn’t put your finger on. It would have to do you supposed. 

“So are shoes not a part of the deal?” You asked, taking the clothes from her. 

“Hm, I’ll see what I can do.” She hummed. “In the meantime your underclothes are on the hanger.”

Muttering a monotonous ‘thanks’ you gently closed the door in her face. Not wanting to waste time you let the towel slide off you as you hastily put on the underwear followed by the trousers and shirt. You checked yourself out in the mirror, noting how both the shirt and pants hung loosely on your frame. You pushed the sleeves up to your elbows and cuffed the pant legs to ensure they wouldn’t get in your way. 

Satisfied with how it looked you opened the door to an enthusiastic Lenore, gushing about how adorable you looked. You smother the butterflies in your stomach, it wasn’t real. Her flattery was just to make you easier to manage, but your body still wasn’t understanding that. You didn’t have a chance to think about it further because you were whisked off to the war room. 

The war room was just as imposing the second time around. The council sat in their usual spots. Striga- if you recall correctly- sits at the far end with the middle eastern woman. They conversed quietly, there was a fondness between them that led you to believe they’re more than simple associates. Carmilla sat at the opposite end, swirling a fine goblet in her hand. 

“Alright, we’re all here now.” Lenore announced, taking her seat next to the albino. You approached the table cautiously, standing just behind the redhead. 

“So, uh, will I be getting a chair or….” You whispered to her suddenly bashful. 

“Hm not yet.” She whispered back, her voice sweet, “In the meantime you could always sit on my lap.”

She offered, patting her thigh. You recoiled at the suggestion shock quickly shifted to barely disguised disgust. She couldn’t be serious, could she? A scoff sounded from your right side. 

“Must you do that here in front of all of us?” Carmilla’s expression was cold but teasing, “First the basement, now here? If you’re so desperate to bed her I say just leave now.”

“I’m just trying to have fun.” Defended Lenore, crossing her arms petulantly, “Nothing wrong with that.” 

“No, but we need to plan our next move and we can’t do that with you distracted by your new pet.” Striga cut in. The redhead muttered something under her breath but she was quickly silenced with a harsh glare from the warrior. 

“Let’s just get to the point of this meeting.” The dark skinned woman asserted, “The forgemaster has proven themselves able to give us our beasts, how do we use them as effectively as possible?”

“We could use them along our borders.” Began the Slavic woman, “If we do that we can consolidate our forces to be offensive without having to put us in danger.”

It was a sound plan- to use the nightcreatures as a sort of ward for potential invaders. However you couldn’t help but feel that was a waste of their potential. Yes they were scary but they were also ferocious, bloodthirsty. You doubted they’d be able to cooperate effectively against a real attack leaving the kingdom vulnerable to genuine threats. However if you were to set the beasts onto cities and villages you could break their moral and bring the neighboring kingdoms to their knees.

Against your better judgment you decided to argue your point. 

“I-If I may.” You stuttered and immediately you felt the full force of your collective gaze pierce you. 

“Yes, what is it?” Lenore coaxed. 

“I-I believe that the night creatures should be set on the, uh, offensive.” You blurted. Striga’s eyes narrowed on you and you rushed to explain,“The night creatures- they’re expendable and- and mobile! They would be better suited for attacks because they wouldn’t really have the strategic mind to… properly… defend…” 

You trailed off, dread settled like ice in your veins as they remained silent. You must’ve been rambling. You watched the tall woman’s gaze flick from you to the others in quick succession- a silent conversation between all of them. 

“Very wel, but know this,” She leered down at you, “If your plan is to sabotage us the ring will rip you apart from the inside out.”

The threat made you pale and back up slightly. Satisfied with your reaction Striga backed off, an almost proud glint in her eyes. 

The rest of the meeting went off without a hitch- granted was because you were largely silent throughout its duration, you still counted it as a win. They mostly discussed things beyond your understanding, trade routes, alliances, defensive points. Boring stuff really. Though, you’d occasionally feel Carmilla staring at you throughout the meeting. You wouldn’t dare look at her, afraid of what she would do to you. 

As soon as the council was adjourned you raced back to your station. 

Christ you forgot how bad it smelt in here. The thought wouldn’t leave. You snapped your mask on and lit a lantern, bathing the room in dim orange light. You took the lantern and shone it to the large gates to the storage area. 

You pushed them open, revealing a few sets of glowing eyes. You gulped nervously as you stepped in. 

“Would the first creature I summoned please step forth.” You tried to keep your voice level. The beast in question pushed itself to the front of the crowd before crouching to eye level. 

“Forgemaster, what is it you desire?” It asks, eyeing you curiously. 

“I have some questions if you’re able to answer them.” You had theories to test, mysteries to unravel. 

Despite everything they’ve done to you, you will thrive. 


	7. Blood Stained

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inevitably Lord Dracula was betrayed by those closest to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo it’s me the OP here with a new chapter- this one sitting at like 4.6K words. I really hope you guys like this one I’ve rewritten it a few times and I’m still not sure how I feel about some parts of it. 
> 
> Also holy fuck we’re past 100 kudos! Thank you all so much for reading and I hope you all have a wonderful day!

**Y** ou’re rushing back to your quarters. 

Your latest run in with Carmilla being another failure; unsurprising given the circumstances. Godbrand was missing though you doubt anyone really  _ misses _ him per se but it put your (ex?) girlfriend into a sour mood. So caught up in your thoughts you almost bump into Issac who justrounded the corner. 

“Forgemaster Issac.” You bow respectfully. It’s rare to see him outside of his quarters- even rarer to see him by yours, “Is something the matter?”

“We are moving the castle to Braila.” He explains matter-of-factly, “We will be mounting an attack there.” 

Your eyes widen. It’s been a long time since Dracula’s army had been personally involved in the extinction of mankind. You wonder what could have inspired such a bold action. 

“Alert everyone on your way to the barracks, we make our move at sundown.” He orders in his usual monotonous voice. 

You nod gravely and take off. You rally everyone you could to suit up and prepare for an attack. Soon the barracks are alight with activity, soldiers gearing up for the battle to come. Speaking of which- you stride into the armoury and stand before a large cabinet with a heavy padlock on its doors. You fish the key from your robes and throw open the doors. 

Within was your armour, and your weapon. The armour wasn’t anything special- the usual platemail in Dracula’s colours with a few adjustments to make it lighter. The boots and leg guards are quickly slid on followed by vambraces and gloves. Finally the chainmail shirt- all covered in a hooded cloak. 

Then there’s your weapon. A cross spear, a long pole arm with an almost trident-like appearance. It’s forked blade made of sterling silver, making it effective against humans and creatures of the night alike. A bolt of bright red fabric tied around it’s collar. You never thought you’d ever need to use it. You take the spear from it’s hooks and admire it almost reverently. You give it an experimental spin in your hands before striking the ground with it firmly, its balance perfect, its weight familiar. 

You feel confident in your ability, confident in your lord’s army despite the sinking feeling of something being horribly wrong. 

You rush to the entryway to lead the footsoldiers, falling in place just behind the generals. You marched forward beyond the safety of the castle's walls. As soon as you set foot onto the bridge the bad feeling intensifies. The rushing water does nothing to ease your nerves as you reach the halfway point. 

The remaining distance might as well be a mile away with how slow you’re moving. 

You hear the rattling of heavy chains from below you and your stomach drops. You look over just in time to see siege equipment on the other side hooked up to the supports of the bridge. You can only look on in horror as the chains go taut and pull the stone out from under you. You react quickly, jamming your weapon into the stone pillar behind you. You watch helplessly as the soldiers fall into the water, catching fire as they hit the surface. 

Sick to your stomach you retreat pulling back towards the castle only to be ambushed by Styrian soldiers. The forces clash and you distance yourself from the fighting. Out of the corner of your eye you catch two figures standing at a small footbridge. 

It’s Carmilla, trying to usher Hector across the walkway. You toss your cowl back and run to her. This was your moment- either now or never. 

As you near them you see a new figure emerge from the water. 

They claw their way out of the water, their body burnt and gaunt. They wore the unmistakable red and black of your army. Their movements are clumsy and unsteady as they pull themselves onto land. The figure stands and draws their weapon. 

So stubbornly alive they raise the blade to strike down the pale woman while she’s distracted by the poor forgemaster. 

You sprint as fast as your legs can carry you and dive for their sword. 

——

The lantern flickered gently as you set it down beside you. 

You took your seat on the ground in front of the beast. The creature mirrors you, crouching down to eye level with you. It’s eyes glowed ethereally as it stared down at you curiously- perhaps still processing your question. 

“What is it you wanted to ask?” It’s voice rumbled lowly. “It has been a long time since anyone has sought to merely converse with me.”

“Let’s start with your name, do you remember what it was?” You asked eagerly.

“My name… it was….” They trailed off, a puzzled noise left them. 

“It’s alright if you don’t remember.” You assured, “Do you remember where you were when you were alive?”

“Ah, it is hard to remember much from before.” They answered, “It is dulled by the sands of time- and I am afraid that I was down there a  _ long _ time.”

“Well, is there anything you  _ do _ remember?” You inquired patiently. 

“I remember I was… an assistant to a merchant.” They muttered gruffly as they began piecing their thoughts together. You nodded along encouraging them to continue. 

“The man I worked under was a smuggler, a slave trader by night.” A grin splayed across their maw, “I killed him when I learned of this.”

“Is that why you were sent to hell?”

A bark of laughter left the creature before it answered, “No, my intentions were not honourable- I sought only to take over his business, I tried to pin the murder on his wife.”

“When you say it like that I would think that it didn’t work out for you in the end, did it?” You asked. 

“No, it did not.” The night creature replied with a chuckle, “But now it seems I have another chance.”

“Yes, and I hope you enjoy it.” You shifted on the spot, “I have one last question.”

“You are a curious one, forge master.” They remark, “I will answer your question if I am able to.”

“What was it like- to be brought back as a night creature?”

“That is hard to explain.” The night creature muttered, “I was in hell and then I saw a hand reach out to me, when I took it I was in a new body- a dead body.”

You hummed in acknowledgement, waiting for them to elaborate further. You wish you brought your notebook in with you. At least then you would be able to retain more of what they were saying. 

“I was in that dead body for what felt like some time before it started to change, everything stretching and clicking together it was…. Painful.”

Fascinating, so they were capable of feeling even before they took their shape. That was an interesting prospect and you would be excited to explore possibilities within it. You pulled yourself from your thoughts and stood up. 

“Thank you, for answering my questions.” You thanked them, “You have given me much to think about.”

“No, thank  _ you _ , for the opportunity to  _ live  _ again.” A garbled chuckle left it’s throat, “I intend to make the most of what you give me.”

You closed the heavy doors behind you, cutting off the laughter. You sighed heavily as you rested your back against the metal hinges. You pushed yourself off and moved to your desk, immediately getting to work on your notebook. The night creatures retained  _ some  _ of their humanity- aspects of their old life- some may remember more than others. You’ll have to see if any others are as capable of speech as your first one. 

However the point that really interested you was the fact they had some perception of the body before coming to life. It was strange because it left you curious on just  _ how  _ this is possible. Maybe it was just some kind of magic sixth sense- echoing what the body should be. Maybe the pain is just a part of the forging process- the books have always been a bit fuzzy on how it’s all put together. 

Perhaps it had something to do with the body the soul is put into- perhaps they’re built their new forms upon the old framework. If that was the case perhaps you can alter the framework to improve upon them. You could add extra limbs, heads, or even remove the ability to physically feel. You could make the perfect soldier- terrifying, unfeeling, merciless, and unquestionably loyal. 

But for that to work you’d actually need to work out exactly how to do that. 

The limbs part seems easy enough- stitch a few extra body parts to a vessel and be done with it. But the work that needed to be done to make them  _ unfeeling  _ would be a whole other matter. From what you read nerves are what make the human body feel- that they’re like spiderwebs beneath the skin. You didn’t have time to really go through and remove all of them. 

You were going to need to make another request from the library soon. You scrawled down a list of subjects as a reminder and trudged off the bed. Sinking into the small cot you drifted into a restless slumber. 

——

_ You were a child again. Your father stood over you and your brother a scowl marred his face.  _

_ “ _ **_Again_ ** _.” He hissed. Your hands shook from the cold, the ragged gloves doing nothing to warm them. You placed your hands on the carcass and your brother did the same. “Reach out and bring a soul through.” _

_ Tears rolled down your face as you tried to do what he asked. Your hands clenched into tight fists as you tried to focus- but fatigue and pain made it difficult. You had been out here in the cold for hours, wearing nothing but your sleepwear.  _ **_You couldn’t do it_ ** _.  _

_ “Everyone is counting on you two.” He warned, “Get it right this time, or else you’ll spend the night in the pit.” _

_ Terror sunk its claws into your chest at the threat. You could feel a panic attack coming on as you snuck a glance at your brother. Only to find that he vanished- no longer tending to the body beside you. Faster, and faster your breathing picked up until you looked up at your father. You gasped and pulled away, now backing away quickly.  _

_ The man that was once your father was now his corpse, his skull split open from the rock you hit him with.  _

**_Wait, what?_ **

_ You were suddenly an adult now. Kneeling on his chest with a freshly bloodied rock cradled in your hands. The shock hit you immediately and you threw the rock to the side your gloves stained crimson from his wound. The stains grew and spread down your wrists, the blood freezing against your skin. Trembling harshly, you backed off of him scrabbling against ice and snow to put as much distance as you could between you and him. You almost threw up when he sat up, locking his glassy eyes with yours.  _

_ “You did this to me!” He howled angrily.  _

_ “I-I’m sorry.” You stuttered feebly, as he lumbered towards you.  _

_ “ _ **_You killed me in cold blood_ ** _.” He accused, pinning you to the ground. His face was decaying fast, his skin pulled taut across his bones. You were hyperventilating as he screamed down at you, “ _ **_You fucking killed your own father! I gave you everything!_ ** _ ” _

_ Any words you could have said were choked back as you felt his cold hands wrap around your throat.  _

——

You woke to a loud banging at your door followed by a voice shouting for you to wake up. You frantically check your surroundings, finding yourself in the forge. Your breathing came out in short puffs as you tried to ground yourself. You touched your neck, finding nothing wrapped around it. For a brief second you thought you saw blood on your hands. You clenched your hand tightly, letting your nails bite into your skin. 

_ You aren’t there anymore, you don’t have to worry about him _ . 

You took a moment to slow your breaths- you hadn’t realized you were crying until a tear hit your leg. You furiously wiped them away with your sleeves and got out of bed. 

Despite everything there was work to be done. You swiped the ration of bread from the tray at the door and numbly ate away at it. Your gaze wandered to your desk and you went over yesterday’s notes. Hopefully you’d have someone stop by to pick up books for you. 

Sighing, you slid your gloves on grimly, weary before the day had begun. 

You hauled the first cadaver onto your workbench. It was a woman, clear of any wounds save for a series of fresh punctures along her neck. Their flesh was still warm, though the blood was long cold. 

_ Cold blood, cold blood, cold blood.  _ The thought wouldn’t leave you. Like a persistent cat scratching at a door it clawed at the corners of your mind. 

_ Was it cold blooded when you killed him? _ You hardly remembered anything from that night you escaped. You couldn't have known for sure- you were too busy running. Too busy trying to keep yourself alive and away from that place. 

Regardless of what you did, you were here now- nothing you’d had changed that. You cleared your mind and centred your gloves hands above the subject's chest and head. The connection came much quicker than last time- in mere seconds you had a reptilian creature being ushered off to the storeroom. 

The next few bodies came and went without much incident. You managed four new creatures before feeling the need to break for a while. You figured you could do one more before taking a breather and making new notes. 

You pulled the latest subject up and onto your table. 

It was a man, clearly not a well liked one judging by his wounds. His throat ripped out so viciously he might as well have been decapitated. You swallowed down bile at the ghastly wound, noting the white bone of his spine jutting out. Could you even reshape this one? You read that bodies that are too damaged simply won’t forge. 

Delicately you went to work, carefully tethering a new soul to the vessel. For a second it looked normal before the light abruptly stopped. The binding was incomplete but the illformed nightcreature sat up sharply before releasing an ear piercing howl. 

The neck wound had not healed in the transformation and it’s clawed hands pressed against it- feebly trying to stem the flow of blood. The creature moved wildly, bucking on the table. You pressed your back to the wall watching the blood splattered across the table as it thrashed. You tried to order it to calm down but it was unresponsive. 

It turned its attention to you. Your heart was in your throat you ran to the door, pounding against it with all your might, screaming for help. A feral noise left it’s mouth as it drew near. You sunk down against the door helplessly. Tears welling up in your eyes as it crashed into the wood behind you; the sturdy door held strong against its attacks. 

The door burst open knocking you to the side and the creature off balance. Disoriented you looked up just in time to see a figure dressed in white step in. 

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”  _ Fuck, you’ve never been so excited to hear Lenore’s voice before in your life.  _ With unimaginable speed she sidestepped the creature’s attack. “ _ Well that wasn’t very nice _ .”

She moved quickly- stepping in close to the beast before digging her nails into the mangled flesh of its neck. It let out a ghastly wail as she started to pull. With a sharp tug it’s head was liberated from its shoulders, then dropped carelessly onto the ground. 

The vampire’s face was still drawn in harsh lines as she glared down at the lifeless body. You were curled up on the ground and nearly hysterical. You must have been a pitiful sight because she softened slightly at the sight of you. She approached you slowly, cautiously. 

“Are you alright?” She asked softly, resting a hand on your shoulder, “What happened?”

You stared at her wordlessly then to the carcass behind her. You were shell-shocked, how did things go so wrong so quickly. You were somewhat aware of her speaking but none of it could cut through your fog. You were transfixed by the body, by the blood.

~~The blood, it’s always the fucking blood~~. 

You were brought back to reality by Lenore shaking you. You were hyperventilating again, but you still felt too far away from yourself to do anything about it. The redhead wore a worried expression as you vacantly took in your surroundings. You found yourself focusing on her hand, bloodied from the fight. 

_ Her hands matched yours.  _ You looked at yourself, hands coated in blood and you felt a surge of nausea hit you all at once. You shook violently, eyes wide with terror.  _ His body was sprawled across the ground just a few feet away. His blood pooled on the ground and permanently stained you to the core. It was your fault he died- you killed him! You- _

A harsh slap snapped you back to your senses. Immediately you turned your head and promptly threw up what little you had to eat. You tensed as a hand rubbed circles on your back in an effort to comfort you. The intense emotions finally wore off and left you weak. It’d been so long since you experienced an attack that bad. It’d been so long since you fell apart so spectacularly that you forgot how to put yourself back together. 

“I need you to calm down and tell me what happened here.” Lenore urged, her eyes not leaving your. 

You took a moment to gather your thoughts. 

“I-I guess I tried to forge a body th-that was too damaged…” You began, “When it came to life it was still hurt. I-it was incomplete in some way- it wouldn’t respond to orders- it-” 

“Shhh,” The vampire soothed, taking your hands into her own, “it’s alright. You’re safe now.”

_ God, you wished you could believe that.  _ After a minute of sitting there on the ground Lenore stood and offered a hand to you. 

“How about we go on a little walk?” She crooned, “We’ll have someone come and clean the mess in the meantime.”

You nodded along dumbly, pulling yourself up to your feet and onto unsteady legs. The woman extended her arm to you and you took it, letting her lead you out the door. She broke the silence, asking if there was anywhere in particular you wanted to go. 

“Uh, I’d appreciate it if I could get some food.” You answered meekly. Almost ashamed of your humanity. 

“It’s alright.” She chuckled, a sweet sound even to you. “Let’s go.”

You almost had to remind yourself not to trust her. You were little more than an asset to her and her sisters, and you would do well to keep that in mind. You steeled yourself, reestablishing your walls and sliding on a disinterested mask. 

Thankfully there was a comfortable silence between the two of you. In no time at all you arrived at the kitchen and the vampire detached from you. You leaned heavily against the counter as Lenore went through the pantry. 

For a brief second there was an oddly domestic feel to the moment. A fleeting sensation of a mundane life you were never meant to have. It leaves in an instant but leaves you longing in its absence. 

“Looks like this kitchen hasn’t been restocked yet.” You heard Lenore mumble something under her breath, “Are you alright with dried meat and a bread roll?” 

You nod enthusiastically. With your hunger you would accept just about anything that was offered to you. She placed the bread and meat before you and you were quick to scarf it down. You heard her chuckle at you; suddenly embarrassed you slow down. 

“Thank you.” You muttered dully from behind your hand. She merely smiled in response but you were too hungry to be put off by it. 

“So I never got the chance to ask yesterday,” She started, catching your attention, “What did you think of your first meeting?”

“It was okay.” You answered after swallowing, “A lot of what they talked about went over my head though.”

Lenore hummed, nodding along, “Is there anything you need help understanding?”

“Yeah I need help understanding why I have to sit in on every meeting if all I do is make monsters.” You replied plainly.

“Honestly? It’s mostly to make sure Carmilla doesn’t work you to death.” The vampire answered casually, “Besides, it’s a great opportunity to request the things you need for your ‘monsters’.”

“I’m content with my craft.” It wasn’t true, there were so many other things you wanted to do. But it was just true enough for her to buy it without question. 

Lenore pouted at your answer and you almost rolled your eyes. 

“Yes, but you could be so much more! You could wrap entire nations around your finger if you wanted it bad enough.”

You blinked, “That kind of life just… isn’t for me.”

“You could be one of us, you know.” She remarked 

“A vampire?” You rose a brow at that. Vampires couldn’t soul forge, you wouldn’t have any use to them in that case. 

“No, silly.” She laughed before leaning in, “A sister.”

“I’m afraid you lost me.” You said, finishing off the bread. 

“Well if you continue to cooperate and build ties with us you could end up as a full time element of the council of sisters.”

“And just why would I need that?” You muttered, “Sounds like more work than it’s worth.”

“It may be more work but you also get more freedom.” She retorted, taking the plate from you, “Think about it- free roam of the castle, no more stale bread, sleeping in a room that doesn’t have corpses in it.” 

You had to admit- she had a point. You could join their ranks, garner some kind of favour and make your stay here a bit more tolerable. Who knows you could even ask them to wipe a certain settlement off the map. All you had to do was play your part. 

“And just how would I do that?” You found yourself asking. 

“It’s easy- just get the other three to like you, you already won me over.” She winked. 

You thought for a moment- it could work. Striga would probably be the easiest to get close to. The incorporation of your forces into her troops gave you some common ground or at least a topic to discuss. Morana’s something of a mystery given that you never actually talked to her before. Carmilla however had made it clear that you were nothing more than a toy, a tool, or a pet. 

“I can hear you thinking from all the way over here.” Drawled the vampire from across the room. “Thinking about how to win them over?”

You made a noncommittal noise. 

“Well just so you know, Morana loves to read romance novels.” She comments. 

“ _ Really _ ?” You inquired, interested in the trivia. 

“Oh yes, she often gets Striga to read them to her.” Supplied Lenore with a grin. You both fell into a comfortable silence as you let her take you back to your room. You had just entered the hall when a voice called out. 

“Lenore, there you are.” The voice belonged to none other than Carmilla. “Morana wanted to speak with you, said it was urgent.” 

“Oh! Must be about the DuLauncets, I must have forgotten to give her a copy of the trade deal.” The redhead said in a rush, “Sorry to cut this short but I must be going.”

“Ah wait before you go-“ you fished a note from your breast pocket, “Could you get someone to bring me books on these subjects?” 

You held the note out to her but it was quickly snapped out of your hands by the albino. “Here I’ll take care of this- you go see what Morana wants.”

The smaller woman shrugged and hurried off but not before whispering something Carmilla. 

“ _ Try not to be too rough with her. _ ” A shiver raced down your spine as she trotted off leaving you alone with the icy vampire. 

“‘ _ Fundamentals of the human body, guides on surgical practices, neurological studies, _ ’” She listed monotonously from the page, “ _ Riveting subjects, _ what could have warranted you to study these- they seem awfully…  _ advanced  _ for the likes of you.”

“W-well, I’m hoping to improve upon the forging process- make, uh, stronger night creatures.” You sweat under her scrutiny, “I'm thinking of conducting a few experiments- wondering how to influence the starting body to get better results. Adding limbs, heads, to try and make them more formidable.”

Her expression was unchanging as she stared at you, making you so much more nervous than you had ought to be. 

“Fascinating, really.” She drawled sardonically, “Have you done anything besides studying in your stay here?”

“Ah, not really- between forging and reading there’s hardly even time to sleep.” You answered honestly. 

“Is that so?” She circles you, “Not even any time to spend with Lenore?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Oh, don’t be coy, she’s always been fond of her pets.” She explained, “You especially.”

“Of course not! It isn’t from a lack of trying from her end either.” You refuted, face flushed indignantly, “Now if you’re quite done I should be getting back to work.”

You brushed past her, desperate to escape her cold eyes. For a moment you were happy to hear that she wasn’t following you; but your reprieve didn’t last long, however. She zipped forward and caught you by the shoulder- effectively freezing you in your tracks. The next thing you knew you had the wind knocked out of you as she forcefully pinned you against the wall. 

“I don’t recall dismissing you.” She leered, holding you jaw in a clawed grip, “I have one led question for you- it’s really simple just say yes or no.”

Your eyes darted around the hall, vying for a way out. When there wasn’t any you relented slightly and locked your eyes with hers. She seemed pleased at your sudden complacency. 

“Tell me, forgemaster,” Her nails barely grazed your skin, “Would you happen to be a virgin?”

_ You don’t like where this is heading _ . You nodded in spite of your thoughts and cowered as a predatory grin spread across her face. She tilted your head to the side ever so slightly and leaned in. 

“Good.” She whispered, leaving goosebumps along your skin, “That will make this much more pleasant for one of us.”

“ _ Wh- _ “ Che cut you off by sinking her fangs into your neck. The pain was sharp and immediate as she latched onto you. You breath caught in your throat as she carded her fingers through your hair and pulled your head further to the side. The pain quickly dulled down to an almost numbing sensation. 

It fairly quickly came to a stop when the woman pulled away. She released you with a satisfied smirk on her blood stained lips. You collapsed against the wall, dizzy and sent reeling from the experience. 

“Hm, no wonder she wanted to keep you to herself.” She commented softly, wiping the blood from her chin. “You might want to put pressure onto that bite, I’d rather you not ruin the tiles here.”

Weakly, you pressed your palm to your neck and gave her a shaky thumbs up. 

“It’s been a pleasure, forgemaster.” And with that she was gone, leaving you to potentially bleed out on the ground. A single thought pushed itself to the forefront of your mind. 

_ What the everliving  _ **_fuck_ ** _ was that? _


	8. Second Time Around

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your reunion with Carmilla is... rough, to say the least. 
> 
> The same could be said for your second encounter with her before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y’know I intended to like keep the cliff hanger for like a lot longer. Like the part where you’re stabbed would just be the last present tense one for like a bunch of chapters until the stabbing bit became relevant again. 
> 
> Anyhow as always I didn’t profited and I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Stay safe y’all!

**T** he blade pierces your abdomen in a motion that feels too familiar for only the second time around. The blade burns of something holy- silver, holy water, salt, whatever it is- it stings horrifically. You shriek in agony, you kick the figure back into the river. You fall to the ground, your hand feebly trying to stop the bleeding. The blood soaks through your armour, feeling cold on your skin. Terrified you gaze up at the woman before you.

“ _Carmilla_ …” You rasp. 

For a brief second there’s a flash of familiarity. Recognition edged with an emotion you can’t quite put your finger on- but it’s gone in an instant as cold disgust takes its place. She storms up to your prone position on the ground and drags you to your feet. You gasp at the feeling of your still bleeding wound benign aggravated. 

“I don’t know who the fuck you think are- whatever you’re trying to accomplish by looking like that.” Her eyes look you up and down, “But know that I don’t take kindly to _impersonators_.”

The venom in her voice makes you flinch sharply despite the pain in your side. You watch her snarl at you before she drags you across the walkway all the while you half coherently try to explain that you were her lover. You’re completely incomprehensible when she shoves you into Hector. The dazed man catches you only barely- seemingly distraught by the betrayal of his master. His eyes fixed on the carnage across the river. 

You hear her mutter something under her breath as she pulls the forgemaster up some stairs. As you reach the top you cast one last glance at the castle just in time to see it start to flicker. The immense building disappears then reappears with a bright flash and thunder. A shockwave races through the town reducing it to rubble around you. The castle vanishes again and returns in the mouth of the river, sending the water through to town and towards you. 

Carmilla is quick to react and takes you and Hector by the arms and jumps up to the rooftops. Your abdomen protests the sudden movement. You look over and the castle is moving still- a tower seems bound to knock you from your perch. Once again the albino moves- jumping away from the docks. Now at a safe distance- you’re unceremoniously dropped by Carmilla. 

Hector helps you to your feet just in time for you to catch the castle flicker out of existence. The sudden void it left in the water causes gale force winds to rush by sweeping up debris and soldiers alike and dumping them into the channel. The three of you stare in awe at the grand destruction in the castle's wake. 

“ _What the fuck just happened_?” Carmilla whispers shakily. It’s all so distant now- fuzzy around the edges from the blood loss. You’re growing cold now- numb. 

You can hardly feel the pain in your side as you fall slack. 

——

You decided you didn’t like being fed on by vampires. 

Carmilla was hardly considerate as she left you alone in the hall, blood steadily oozing from your neck. The lightheaded feeling that came with the wound was starting to wear you down. You rested yourself against the wall in an attempt to keep from falling over. 

“Forgemaster?” You heard a woman call- but you could figure out who the voice belonged to. However you had a feeling you knew who it was. 

“Why is it that, whenever I get in trouble, you’re always around to help.”

“Call it instincts.” She answered casually, coming up on your side, “Are you alright?” 

A worried expression painted her features, gingerly touching the blood from your collar. Dully you met her gaze and she immediately started to fuss over you. She pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and pressed it to your neck- doing a much better job than you at slowing the bleeding. 

“Not really.” You croaked, “Carmilla bit me.”

“Really? She must like you- she rarely ever shows this kind of restraint.” The redhead commented offhandedly, “She’s usually a much messier eater.”

“I’m pretty sure she hates me.” You muttered, trying your best to ignore the last part of what she said. 

“Hm, well maybe on a personal level but she definitely likes the way you taste.” She teased. You grimaced at that- however you would have been blushing if you were capable of it. You remained silent instead as the vampire gingerly dabbed the silken cloth along your throat. “Regardless you’re going to need a new shirt.” 

You looked down and sure enough there was a fair amount of blood stained into the neckline. “Damn, I liked this shirt.”

“I’ll go grab you a fresh one, and maybe something to eat.” Lenore offered, “I’ll get you back to your room first though.”

You nodded, and let her help you to your room. She greets the guards standing outside with a smile and assists you to your bed. With unmatched grace and ease you face planted into your cot with a soft grunt. You heard the vampire chuckle at your antics. 

“Wait here, I’ll be right back.” And with that she leaves. You took a moment to roll over and look around the room. Everything was better how you left it. Papers were neatly stacked on your desk, reading materials no longer strewn about your space. The blood that had painted the floor and table had been scrubbed clean- only the memories remained. Your gaze fell onto the stone table in the middle of the room. 

You were going to have to get back to work at some point- but you weren’t ready yet. You sat up slowly and shifted over to your desk. Pulling out a new sheet of paper you went about documenting your findings.

Mangled bodies are- in fact- capable of being forged. However they become feral- heedless of commands. You theorized that this was because the more severe injuries were carried over to the creature. Perhaps it was triggering a sort of fight response to danger. It could also be that when a soul is put into a vessel it feels things so intensely that the pain simply drives them mad beyond reason. 

Once you got some new materials you could do proper tests- hopefully with some form of supervision.

“I thought I told you to wait there.” Lenore huffed, standing beside you. 

“Sorry.” You muttered, not really meaning it. 

“Whatever, let me have another look at your neck.”

You eyed her suspiciously before compiling, tilting your head to the side. She hummed gently and began tending to the wound, dabbing it with a damp cloth. You could help but scrunch up as she cleaned- the sharp sting of alcohol, unpleasant against the wound. Thankfully that was done and over with fairly quickly. She took care wrapping your bite in bandages, ensuring they’re not too tight. She tied it off and gave your shoulder a quick pat, signalling she was done. 

“There, not too tight is it?” She asked. “I remember you didn’t like things too tight around your neck.”

“Uh, no, it’s fine.” You replied kind of surprised she remembered the collar incident. You pushed any fond feelings from your mind, firmly reminding yourself she didn’t care. You took a steadying breath and met her eyes as she hands you a new shirt. You asked her to turn around as you changed and she rolled her eyes but did as you asked. With some difficulty from the pain in your neck you slid into the fresh tunic. 

She waited for you to be done before turning around to face you- a small package in her hands. She held it out to you and you accepted it. You inspected it curiously before peeling the wax paper off. The paper contained a small assortment of dried fruits which you made quick work of. 

“Thank you.” You smiled through a mouth full. 

“Of course! Can have hour forgemaster falling unconscious of blood loss.” She teased, she glanced over your shoulder at your desk, “So what were you writing this time?”

“Just some observations of the…” You paused looking for the right word, “Incident earlier.”

“About that, are you sure you’re alright?” Her voice took on a worried edge, “You were shaken up pretty badly from it.”

“Ah, I’m fine.” You sounded unsure even to your own ears, “I wasn’t hurt too badly.”

“I wasn’t talking about injuries.” She stated, “You were scared of something- something other than the beast.”

“Oh. That.” You mumbled nervously, “It’s something I’m working on.”

The woman eyed you uncertainly but thankfully dropped the subject in favour of looking over your notes. You breathed a sigh of relief. You weren’t ready to dig into those wounds yet. 

“I suppose I’ll leave you to your studies.” The redhead sighed, “If you need anyone to talk to I’ll be around.”

“I’ll be sure to take you up on that.” The lie rolled off your tongue easily. 

She was just about to leave when she stopped abruptly. “Oh! Before I forget- a meeting was called for later tonight.”

“This day just won’t fucking end.” You cursed under your breath, but you were quick to put on a pleasant façade, “Okay, I’ll be waiting.”

With that Lenore showed herself out. 

You looked down at your pages upon pages of research. Maybe you could make a sort of requisition for them? Just compile a list of tools and resources you might need to properly test your theories. To your understanding surgical knives were a step above the run of the mill hunting knife you had. You’d need the training to actually properly use said blades as well. 

You started drawing up the list; bonesaws, medical equipment, embalming equipment, and some nice sealed leather gloves for dealing with bodies. Coupled with training to utilize the equipment effectively. It would surely be pricey- but worth it in the long run. You just hoped you could win them over with your pitch. 

Before you knew it Lenore had returned. She waited patiently as you scrambled to get your papers together. When she figured you were ready she led you out into the halls. 

“What do you have there?” She inquired, gesturing to the loose pages in your hands. 

“Requests mostly- stuff that I could use to improve upon the night creatures.” You supplied, “Just a couple of lists and bits of theories.” 

“Already making your moves on the council?” She teased with a sly grin.

“No, this is mostly for me- any kind of merit this gets me is just incidental.” You scanned the papers in your hands, “I just hope they’ll allow it.”

“If nothing else I’ll endorse it.”

You huffed at that. Of course she would, she’s persistent to get on your good side. You know she wouldn’t kill you, you were too valuable- but she could still have malicious intent. She could still easily hurt you in ways that aren’t physical and that’s what unnerved you the most about her. 

The rest of the walk was quiet. Any bravado you had was slowly being eaten away with each step you took towards the war room. By the time you actually got there you could swear your heart was going to stop. You stepped through the threshold and ignored the eyes on you in favour of standing beside Lenore’s seat at the table. 

“Well, we’re all here now, shall we begin?” Morana drawled. A chorus of agreements sounded out and you shuffled the pages in your hands. 

“Dare we start with the accident your little pet had in the undercroft?” Carmilla muttered tiredly. You stand up a little straighter as the full force of their stares hit you. The red headed vampire gestures for you to answer. 

“A-Ah yes, the uh, accident.” You fumbled for words, “There was a… complication with the- uh- forging process that made the creature go feral.”

“Why was it not under your control?” Striga asked skeptically, her eyes narrowed on you.

“W-well, due to the- ah- poor state of the body I was working with, the wounds weren’t simply healed by the magic.” You explained frantically, “I-I think the pain is what drove it mad.” 

“And how will you ensure this doesn’t happen again?” The Slavic vampire retorted. 

“I mean, I-I could just discard the damaged bodies,” You answered, “or I could propose another solution, i-if I may?”

“Go on.”

You shuffled your notes around, “If you were to give me the right tools and training, I could possibly give them purpose.”

“What exactly would you need?” Morana spoke up.

“Nothing particularly exotic, just- uh- surgical tools a-and some kind of guide to use them.”

“Whatever for?” Asked the aristocratic vampire, “The bodies are already dead.”

“I-I have some theories on how to make the night creatures… stronger, more tenacious than before.” You read from your script. “I- uh- could potentially attach extra limbs onto them- heads, arms, legs.”

A bark of laughter left Carmilla, causing you to tense. 

“ _Lenore_ , I didn’t know you taught it how to tell jokes.” She grinned coldly, “I mean, really, she can barely control them as it is and yet she wants to make them stronger?”

“It does seem unwise to try such a thing with so little experience.” Striga hummed in agreement.

You opened your mouth to argue but you were cut off. 

“The you agree that- once she has the necessary experience- she could use those tools?” Lenore piped in. 

This gave the general a pause, and you suppressed your excitement, “I suppose so, but it seems there is much progress to be made.”

“W-well, it doesn’t have to be right away!” You stuttered in a rush, “Give me time- if I prove to be capable you could decide what’s best.”

“How about this.” The redhead intervened, her tone careful- diplomatic, “Should she show significant improvements in the coming weeks we’ll hold a vote.”

“Do we agree to these terms?” Morana looked to the other council members. The tallest ampire shrugged apathetically, seemingly not caring either which way. Lenore for her part nodded enthusiastically. Carmilla rolled her eyes. 

“Whatever gets this meeting finished sooner.” She drawled, glancing up at the other members before going back to inspecting her nails. 

“Motion carried, Forgemaster you will have a month’s time to hone your skills.” You thanked them quietly, now grateful to be out of the spotlight. “Now onto more pressing matters.”

“The soldiers we sent to the eastern outpost have been going missing.” Striga read from her report. This caught your attention. 

“Missing how?” Asked the albino. 

“The overseer of the post says they simply don’t return from patrols. Their search parties come back with nothing but blood and tracks.” The general explained, “All evidence is pointing to some kind of beast.”

Your eyes widened slightly. It was curious, not many demons or creatures stray up this way. You liked to think you knew quite a bit about monsters- perhaps you could use this as a chance to prove yourself. Though, you were unsure how to get a word into their discussion, thankfully Lenore spoke up for you. 

“Perhaps the Forgemaster could be of assistance?” She offered, “What better to catch a beast than someone who studies them?”

“Oh please, it can barely defend itself.” Scoffed Carmilla, “Besides, how would we make sure she doesn’t take off?”

“The ring for starters, prevents that.” She listed, you ignore the suddenly heavy ring on your finger, “Secondly, we could just have someone watch over her- maybe even one of us?”

She sent you a wink and you flushed, awkwardly shuffling your feet. 

“Why would any of us want to waste our time babysitting?” Came the scathing reply of Carmilla. 

“I wouldn’t mind.” She waved her hand dismissively, “Besides clearly whatever’s out there is stronger than any foot soldier we have- why not send someone qualified to take things down?”

“You speak as if you are qualified.” Striga let out a bark of laughter, “You could hardly handle yourself when your last pet got hurt.”

“And don’t forget you’re set to meet the Dumonts next week for negotiations.” Morana remarked.

“I don’t exactly see anyone else stepping up.” She said, crossing her arms. 

“I need to maintain the defense of the castle.” Was the Slavic woman’s excuse. 

“I need to stay here to handle the finances.” The dark skinned vampire replied. 

All eyes fell to Carmilla who seemed busy with finding a reason not to go. When she couldn’t come up with one she slumped in her seat with a frustrated groan. 

“Very well, I’ll be the one to investigate.” She growled, “I better get a proper welcome back after this.”

The emotions that coursed through you were mixed. On one hand: you were elated at the opportunity to win over the council and earn your keep. However on the other hand: you were going to be in the company of Carmilla- who you were certain she only barely tolerated your existence for the sake of strengthening her army. 

The topic changed and you were quick to tune out the rest of the meeting now that you played no part in it. 

That’s when you felt it. A chill ran down your spine- you could sense eyes on you. You glanced around subtly, looking for the source. You didn’t find it until you turned to your right and accidentally locked eyes with Carmilla’s intense stare. You were now acutely aware of how loud your heart thundered in your chest as she glared at you. You tore your eyes away and attempted to focus on the meeting to take your mind off her. 

After what felt like an eternity the council was dismissed and you immediately rushed to the door. 

“Forgemaster, a word?” Carmilla asked- though it didn’t feel like a question. 

Your stomach dropped and faced her. Her expression was neutral but her eyes held a threatening glint to them- almost challenging you to say no. You timidly approached her, just waiting for her to snap at you. 

“Walk with me.” She said, already striding out into the hall. You jogged lightly to keep up with the pace she set. 

“So it seems we’re going to be seeing a lot more of each other.” She commented, not sparing you a glance. 

“Uh, y-yeah.” You shuttered nervously. 

“Is that a problem?” 

“No- no, just, uh, nervous.” You half lied, an unpleasant sense of déjà vu washing over you. 

You were absolutely terrified of this woman and you would give anything to go back to your room. 

“Good.” As soon as the word left her mouth she grabbed you by the shoulder and pinned you to the wall. In a motion that echoed your previous encounter with her she pulled your head to the side. “I’m sorry to do this to you so soon, darling Forgemaster, but I’m afraid you left me wanting more.”

A cold, hollow feeling settled in your chest as you paled. Her hand came up to cradle your face in a sort of mockery of tenderness. She grinned down at you, baring her fangs. She leaned in, her cold breath fanned over your shoulder and you gasped silently. 

“How quaint, who could have done this.” She murmured cruelly, her fingers fiddling with the off-white cloth around your neck. The sound of the linen ripping slowly was deafening in your ears. The air now cold on the newly revealed skin. 

“Isn’t that _much_ better?” She asked rhetorically. You were frozen on the spot, a passenger in your own body as she drew close to your neck. Her teeth puncture your neck and a strangled yelp left your throat. 

Then it all went black. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes the bite is super horny what of it?


	9. Memories and Echoes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> History rarely repeats itself- but you’ll often find it rhyming.   
> Ghosts of the past have a habit of not staying dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aye it’s me, the OP! Now, I know that it’s been like over a month now but here’s like a really long chapter as a consolation. As always I didn’t even like read over this so if anything looks weird lemme know! I got news for how the story’ll end at the end note. Thanks for reading y’all!

It doesn’t help that with every step away from Braila made the mark across your shoulders burn. You abandoned the post Dracula had set for you and now the brand ebbs a dull pain down your spine. Making the return to Styria particularly taxing for you specifically. 

Though, between bandits, rogue vampires, feral night creatures, and the ceaseless marching you’re surprised the army lasted this long. The mounts were killed within the first week- leaving all of you to walk those miles on foot. You figure you’re in the homestretch now- perhaps just the night’s end you’ll be surrounded by the castle's walls once more. 

For now you take your place beside the forgemaster watching the army packing up camp for the evening. Hector looks half dead beside you. His shoes are long gone and his clothes worn and full of holes. You pity the husk of a man beside you; but there’s nothing you can do. Between your weakness and undead body you could barely keep yourself from collapsing. You offer what you hope is a comforting hand on his shoulder. 

“We’re almost there.” You whisper assuringly. In spite of the miserable conditions you can’t help feeling a little nostalgic. 

_ You were so nearly home _ . 

A sudden tug on your chains interrupts your thoughts. Your guard tugs at your lead and silently urges you to get moving. With a weary sigh you drag yourself to your feet and trudge on. You’re so unbelievably tired, Hector is tired, fuck even the vampire pulling you along is fucking tired of walking. 

But you continue on anyway, mindlessly moving your legs until you were brought before the heavy iron gates of the Styrian castle. You can just barely make out the forms of the council memes greeting Carmilla. Distantly you can hear them talking but the wind was loud in your ears. When you and the forgemaster are brought before them the albino gestures to Hector. 

“Oh yes, Striga, take this to a cell and lock it up.” She drawls, “Throw food at it once a day.”

“What is it?” She asks towering over the battered man. 

“It’s a whining bag of shit that I would have happily dropped in a ditch at any moment over the past month.” She scowls, “But it’s also a forgemaster, so keep it alive- my plans include it.”

“Take this to the western cell block, don’t kill it.” You hear the woman order, “And throw some water over it, it stinks.”

“What about her?” You hear Lenore inquire. You turn your head to meet her gaze and briefly you see a flash of recognition in those red eyes. It’s gone in an instant as she listens to Carmilla.

“A sick bastard who I look forward to interrogating. Same treatment.” She supplies easily. 

With that you were hauled off. You almost say something- call out to one of them. But you don’t, knowing full well it’ll do nothing to help your case. 

You’re led through the halls of the castle, you find not much has changed since you left. The carpets are still red, the general decor still exuding the same decadence. As soon as you set foot in the lowest level of the west wing you were stripped of your clothes and shoved into the cell opposite to Hector’s. Through the bars you watch him curl into himself on the cold stone floor. 

You move to the iron grate and try to bend it. Despite your best effort the metal is unyielding under your grasp- you’re too weak from hunger. You lay down across the stone, ignoring the sharp jolt of pain that slips down your back. 

This is all so painfully  **_familiar._ **

The uncertainty, the cell block, the stone under your skin it’s all the same as before. It all rhymes with your first stay here- your chest aches persistently just thinking about it. Why does it hurt so much to think about it? You don’t know, it’s so hard to focus. Maybe it’s the hunger, maybe it’s the emotional toll of your confrontation finally catching up to you. 

You’re pulled from your thoughts by the sound of heavy footfalls. The source turns out to be a Styrian soldier, carrying two buckets of water in each hand. They set one bucket down in front of Hector’s cell and take the other one to yours. You watch curiously as they wind back and douse you in water. You steel yourself as the icy water washes over you, shivering as more of a reflex than a true reaction. 

You wipe the water from your brow just in time to witness the human get the same treatment. The forgemaster gasps sharply and curls further into himself- you don’t need vampiric hearing to know he’s shivering. You want to offer some kind of consolation but none come to mind. This situation is far too bleak for you to pull any kind of light out of it. 

You’ve never been good at comforting people- usually it’s you who’s being comforted. 

Once again your whole life has been ripped out from under you and you have been branded a prisoner. Thankfully not literally this time. For the first time in a long time you have no clear directions to go. When you came here as a human you were useful- you were a forgemaster- a tool that they valued. When you were with Dracula you were set to serve as a right hand- a bound servant to his will. But now? Now you were nothing to them, nothing to  _ her.  _ In her eyes you are nothing but an imposter- a vampire wearing the face of her lover. You can only assume she keeps you with the intention of torturing you. 

_ God how are you going to go about explaining this to her? _

‘Oh, hey Carmilla! So as it turns out I didn’t actually die in that field- crazy right? Yeah, instead I was turned by Dracula- the most powerful vampire to ever live. He offered to help me back to styria but ended up binding me to his will while he waged war against the human race! So how have you been?’

_ Yeah, that’d go smoothly.  _

The sound of heels against stone brings you back to reality. A figure stops in front of your cell, dressed in white garbs. You look up and you’re met with a familiar face. Lenore. She looks almost exactly the same as before- long red hair, white dress, the same docile smile that masks vicious sadism. She peers down at you through the bars, bright red doe eyes scanning your features. 

“Hey Lenore.” You rasp.

“Curious, how do you know my name?” She narrows her eyes at you. 

“We’ve met before actually.” You mutter, “Do you not remember a forgemaster here about five years ago?”

“Really now? You don’t look like her.” She remarks lamely looking you up and down. 

“Becoming a vampire does that to you.” You half joke, “Plus I haven’t known a moment’s rest since running into Carmilla again.”

That earns you a chuckle from the woman. 

“Do you have any proof that you are who you say you are?” She asks, humouring you. 

You pause for a moment, thinking of a way to prove yourself. 

“We first met when I was in a cell- that one over there specifically.“ You point off to an adjacent cage, “You came around and saved me from having to eat the world’s stalest bread.”

“It really is you! Wow, you look terrible.” The last bit makes you roll your eyes. 

“Yeah, and you look exactly the same.” You retort. “How have things been since I left?”

“More or less the same, though we did have to deal with a basement full of night monsters for a bit.” Her face shifts subtly in the dim light. “What happened to you that night?”

You fall silent, somber. 

“Carmilla spent days looking for your body, you know.” She offers the information so casually. 

You didn’t. 

“It’s… it’s a long story.” You take in a sharp breath as guilt rears its ugly head around and your chest aches anew. Sadness creases your features as you’re consumed by your thoughts. All this time you spent wondering if she ever missed you- if you meant anything at all to her. You waited- days into weeks, weeks into months, months into years for her. For so long you resented her for leaving you to die. And to only know now she was looking for you makes you feel like the stupidest person alive. 

“I’ve got time.” She shrugs. 

“ _ I _ do, but you have someone else to see to.” You nod at the cell across from you. “I can tell you later.” 

Lenore gives you a doubtful look which you meet unflinchingly. She sighs and thankfully relents spinning around to talk to the husk of a man across from you. 

Now that you have someone on your side, maybe this wouldn’t be terrible after all. 

———

“God this is just terrible.” You hissed to yourself. You were traveling through the bitter chill of winter to some outpost in the middle of nowhere. To find the source of the disappearances there. It was two weeks out from the castle. Two weeks of eating nothing but hard tack and dried meats, two weeks of venturing through the snow in a rickety cart with little to keep yourself warm. 

Two weeks of having to put up with  _ her.  _

Carmilla rode ahead on a fine pale horse- unfettered by the cold. The few glimpses you managed to catch found her atop her mount with a scowl across her lips. You took a small joy in knowing the fact she was just as miserable as you. 

A sharp jolt almost threw you from the cart and you yelped, clinging to the railing behind you. You shot a glare to the back of the driver’s head who was apathetic to you at best. Pulling your cloak tighter against you, you stared into the clear night sky. Briefly you wondered if this would be worth it- this whole attempt to earn trust thing you were doing. You supposed that you could have done without the implements you requested. You could have simply waited and got them later. You could have probably survived Carmilla- she only tried to kill you twice. That’s a quarter of the times as the church tried. 

You glanced over at the path ahead just in time to catch a certain albino woman staring at you. The intensity in her eyes unnerved you, you shivered and for once it wasn’t because of the cold. You quickly turned away looking anywhere but at her; you weren’t willing to test her ire. Amidst the sea of ice and snow you could make out a light in the distance. Relief washed over you. You were almost there. 

In no time at all the cart came to a stop. 

“Alright, out.” The driver barked gruffly. You climbed out into the snow, suddenly very grateful for the boots Lenore had gifted you before she left. As much as you loathed her for putting the ring on you, you couldn’t deny that she was helpful when she wanted to be. Perhaps one day you could find it in yourself to actually forgive her. 

A sudden rush of bitterly cold wind tears through the air and you pressed your hands closer to your chest. You were stuck with the sudden inspiration to change your plans for when you finally escape this mess; get the fuck out of Styria, move somewhere south- somewhere warm, and find a nice ditch to throw yourself in and die. 

As you gazed around at the settlement you found the outpost to be underdeveloped. It was little more than a few tents and fires scattered about a guard tower in the middle. You were shaken from your daze as a soldier corralled you in the tower’s direction. Carmilla strode ahead, and promptly stormed through the door, her entourage including you shortly thereafter. 

With little fanfare she waltzed up to the overseer- an older vampiric man who looked immensely tired. He stood hunched over the table, reading reports and adding details to the several maps splayed out on the desk. He cast a tired glance at the woman before him before going back to his work. A beat later his mind caught up with him and he saluted frantically. 

“L-lady Carmilla! I hadn’t expected you to arrive so early- my sincerest ap-“

“Tell me, what was so important to drag me all the way out here to this godforsaken place?” She leered, cutting him off. She watched with an amused smile as the vampire fumbled for his notes. 

“R-right, uh, there’s been a series of attacks made on our patrols. It’s always in the same spot, no matter how much armour or- or weapons we give them, they never return.” He stuttered,tapping a settlement on the map, “Every search we’ve done turned up empty- no bodies, no weapons, only blood and footprints going into the church.”

The pale woman rolled her eyes.“It sounds to me like you’re dealing with bandits- are you sure your men aren’t simply incompetent?”

“I-I assure you that’s not the case.” The man bristled at the insult. “There have been reports of strange activity in the chapel specifically- noises mostly and sometimes lights. We suspect it’s a beast of some kind.”

“Forgemaster?” Carmilla drawled, calling for your attention, “What is the likelihood of- day one of your night creatures taking up residence in a church of all places?”

“W-well, contrary to popular belief churches are rarely holy places.” You prattled, trying to remember what you had read about such hypotheticals, “Demons and the likes often have no problems entering most churches- so long as there’s space- it’s not impossible there’s one there.”

“Regardless, it’s too late in the night to do anything now.” She announced with growing frustration, “Show me to my quarters, the journey here was tiring.”

“And your forgemaster?” The overseer asked. That gave the woman pause, she turned around to meet your eyes. You shrunk under her stare- you could practically feel her thoughts through the contact. The staring contest lasted for a few seconds but it might as well have been hours. 

“I suppose it wouldn’t do to have her die of frostbite.” She muttered, peering over at you, “The Forgemaster can come along.”

On one hand you were ecstatic to be finally out of the elements. On the other you were going to be alone with Carmilla. You wouldn’t have found it so unnerving if your last couple of encounters didn’t end with you being bitten. Plus you’ve found that when people are nice to you there is always some kind of ulterior motive. 

Regardless you had no say in the matter, so you followed her to her room wordlessly. You kept your head down and didn’t try to put up any fights. The last thing you needed was the woman to snap at you and wring your neck. 

Once inside you found the room to be modest- not much bigger than average bed chambers. A bed in the far corner and a desk messy beside it. The focal point of the room was a large stone fireplace in the middle of the back wall. The stonework of it seemed rather out of place in such a small room. The second her luggage was set down she dismissed the man with a wave not bothering to look at him. He bowed sharply and almost sprinted off. 

Now alone with her you awkwardly shuffled your way to the fireplace. You took some of the kindling that was set aside and spark it and soon enough you had a small fire going. You took a log and gingerly placed it beside the growing flame. You shrugged your cowl and gently set it down on the stone. 

You hear the woman behind you sigh heavily. You turned to look at her and saw her sliding her dress from her shoulders. A strangled noise left your throat as heat rose to your face. 

“Oh for god’s sake, what is it?” She demanded. 

You stumbled over your words as you flushed all the way down to your collar. 

“Oh, I see now.” Her voice took on a cot lilt, “Is the poor little forgemaster blushing at a little skin?”

You didn’t bother answering that- instead you retrieved the iron poker. You half heartedly stoked the fire, ignoring the fluttering feeling in your chest. You were so focused you didn’t hear Carmilla come up behind you until a cold, pale hand came to rest on the curve of your neck. All at once your limbs stiffened, you didn’t dare move, didn’t dare try to look over your shoulder. The fluttering only grew stronger as she leaned in close to you. 

_ Christ _ what was wrong with you?

Despite knowing what would happen next you couldn’t help but be startled by the feeling of her teeth grazing your throat. Your body twitched and a quiet yelp left you. You heard her let out a low chuckle so close to your ear. 

“Such  _ adorable _ little reactions.” She breathed, “It's no wonder why Lenore keeps you all to herself.”

Before you could sputter out any questions her fangs sunk into your jugular. You inhaled sharply through grit teeth. Though the feeling was growing familiar you could help but grimace a little at the sensation that washed over you. In only a matter of seconds your vision was narrowing drastically. You could barely register your limp body being dropped unceremoniously to the ground. 

Then you passed out. 

—

_ You were in a forest.  _

_ The trees and bushes around you scorched into black stumps, soot and embers hung stagnant in the air around you. The sky above you was empty- no sun or moon, no clouds or fog- just an endless red-orange abyss. The longer you looked the smaller you felt. You sat upright and brushed the ashes from you.  _

_ Where the hell were you? _

_ You called out into the stillness and received no answers. You trudged your way through the trees, the heavy blanket of ash making your footfalls almost silent. After a few minutes of walking you found yourself back where you started. A nervous sigh left you and you started in a new direction. Only to get the same result. You were sprinting now, between branches and charred remains.  _

_ No matter how far you ran, no matter how many turns you took you always ended up in the same place.  _

_ A heavy feeling sunk into your stomach. Something was wrong here- something beyond the loop you’ve been going through. Something tugged at the back of your mind incessantly. Something was wrong. What was it? What was it?  _ **_What was it?_ ** __

_ It wasn’t until you stopped panting that the realization struck you.  _

_ “This is a dream.” As soon as the words left your mouth a distinctly feminine chuckle filled the air. All at once the soot that was suspended in the air dropped to the ground.  _

_ “Well done little lamb, I knew you’d figure it out eventually.” A voice crooned from everywhere at the same time. You tensed.  _ **_You knew that voice._ ** _ You closed your eyes and steeled yourself for what was to come.  _

_ “Mother.” You ground out, keeping the shake from your voice. You opened your eyes and there stood the woman that raised you. Her greying hair tied back in a tight bun, a strange serene smile on her lips as she looks at you.  _

_ You  _ **_hate_ ** _ that you’re the spitting image of her.  _

_ “Is that all you have to say to your mother after all these years?” She asked cruelly, coldly; smoke rose from her mouth with every syllable. “It’s nice to know some things never change.” _

_ “You’re not real.” You hissed, tears welling up in your eyes, “None of this is real.” _

_ “You’re right, none of  _ **_this_ ** _ is real.” She gestured at the world around you, “But I’m afraid the things you’ve done are very much real.” _

_ “Don’t talk to me as if you know me.” You growled, “I did what I had to, to survive!” _

_ “Oh but that’s where you're wrong, little lamb.” Her lips curled into a smile as she stepped closer to you, “I know you  _ **_very_ ** _ well.” _

_ You stepped backwards, she stepped forwards. This continued until you were backed against a stump. You were pushed down to the blackened ground. You attempted to push yourself up but a hand shoved you down with enough force to knock the wind from your lungs. For the first time you met her gaze and found only pitch black nothingness.  _

_ “I  _ **_know_ ** _ what you did was  _ **_selfish._ ** _ ” She seethed, “I know  _ **_you_ ** _ are  _ **_selfish._ ** _ ” _

_ “Who cares!” You argued, “It doesn’t matter! It’s done! There’s no going back!” _

_ “Wrong again sweetheart.” A sickening smile made its way back onto her lips, “You could always come home, be a family again!” _

_ “We were  _ **_never_ ** _ a  _ **_family!_ ** _ ” You laughed but it came out bitter and icy, “That- that was fucking  _ **_cult-_ ** _ bunch of fanatics! Just a group of fucking crazies that fucked up a whole bunch of  _ **_children._ ** _ ” _

_ “Is  _ **_that_ ** _ what you tell yourself? Is that how  _ **_justified_ ** _ your leaving us?” She asked incredulously, “After all I did for you?” _

_ You were pushed harder against the ground. Tears poured down your face as she snarled down at you. Smoke clouded your vision with every hateful word she spat at you.  _

_ “Who fed you? Who clothes you?” She was almost hysterical, “Who  _ **_held_ ** _ you through every nightmare? Who kept you out of the cold every night?”  _

_ She grew louder and louder until she was screaming at you behind a thick cloud of black mist. The embers became sparks, sparks into flames as fire consumed what remained of the woods around you.  _

_ “You’re not real.” Your voice was a shaky whisper, “This isn’t real. You’re not real.” _

_ Your mother and the forest fell silent.  _

_ “How many times do we have to do this tired song and dance?” She hissed, “I'm very real, little lamb.” _

_ The smoke cleared to reveal your own face staring back at you. You scrabbled against the soot trying to get traction, to get away from her- to get away from you? But the grip she had on your shoulders was unwavering.  _

_ “In spite of everything you’ve done, I’m still  _ **_you._ ** _ ” The clone snarled, “I’m the part of you that didn’t want to leave them behind. The part of you that still wants to go  _ **_home._ ** _ ” _

_ “Shut up! Shut up! Just  _ **_shut up!_ ** _ ” You chanted the words. _

_ “I’m the part of you-“ Their face morphed back into your mother’s, “-that still wants to be loved by  _ **_mother dearest._ ** _ ” _

_ “No- no I-I don’t want that.” _

_ “But you do, don’t you?” It asked rhetorically, “Don’t you remember how you would so desperately  _ **_seek_ ** _ the love that you were denied as a child? How much you yearned for their approval despite how much you  _ **_hated_ ** _ them?” _

_ “ _ **_Shut. Up._ ** _ ” You bit out, trying to throw the thing off you, “I don’t want anything from them! I don’t owe them anything!” _

_ “Oh, little lamb, this goes so far beyond simply owing them.” She whispered, cradling your head, in her hands, “I suppose you’ll find out in time.” _

_ “Fuck off!” You yelled, throwing your fist at the figure’s face. But your hand was met with nothing but smoke, passing right through where they used to be.  _

_ Then you were falling.  _

_ — _

You awoke with a start, jerking upright suddenly _.  _

What the hell was that?

As you woke up you slowly became aware of yourself, you were in Carmilla’s room, the dying embers of the fire your only light. You weren’t dreaming anymore, the sharp pain in the side of your neck made sure you knew that. Your fingers brushed the wound cautiously and found a handkerchief pressed there, stuck on with tried blood. You peeled the silken fabric away and prod at the new bite that laid underneath. It was already healed over, thankfully. You folded the small square of bloodied cloth and shoved it into your pocket. 

You noticed that you were still in your coat and boots, your cloak draped over the mantle now. As quietly as you could manage in heavy boots- you brought yourself to a standing position and crept to the door. Thankfully you didn’t wake the woman sleeping as you closed the door with a soft click. You paced the hall and stood in the threshold of the main room. 

The overseer from before was already at the table, mulling over details of whatever. Politely you knock on the wood door frame to announce yourself.

“Come in.” He gruffed out. You wordlessly stepped inside and took a seat across from him. You looked over at the pages scattered about and tried to make sense of them. 

“Is there something you need, Miss Forgemaster?” The man asked tiredly, peering up at you through a pair of thin glasses. 

“Oh, no, I just couldn’t go back to sleep.” You lied easily, “Actually, I was wondering if you had any more notes about what could be in that chapel.”

The man mumbled something under his breath as he scoured the mess of parchment on his desk. After a beat he slid over a few loose sheets of paper. You thanked him and he hummed in response before going back to work. The notes said little more than what he already explained. Lights, weird sounds, nothing more than blood being found the next day. 

You sighed heavily. 

You wondered what would lead a creature to live in the church so close to people. Night creatures usually stick to rural isolated places- hiding. With no leader to guide them they don’t tend to survive long in more populated places. Something had to have brought it here, you reasoned. But you couldn’t figure out what. It couldn’t have been food, there are safer places for it to hunt. It couldn’t have been shelter, they’re usually nomadic creatures. 

What about another forgemaster? God if that was the case- a real, experienced forgemaster- these people had their work cut out for them. You liked to think you had gotten significantly better at the art of forging but you paled in comparison to the real deal. You should really warn someone. ‘Someone’ unfortunately being Carmilla, who was asleep at the moment. 

All you had to do was wait. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I finally worked out how the story will wrap up. There’s gonna be 16 regular chapters in all. And 3 endings: a good one, a bad one, and an unfortunate one, plus a bonus bit where I share all the good bits that didn’t make the cut.


	10. A Horrifying Ordeal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You take a short trip elsewhere and it doesn’t lead anywhere good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aye it’s me the OP. Here’s your latest chapter. This one’s setting up for the next one which is gonna be a conflict chapter but not like THE conflict chapter. Hope you all enjoy and

**Y** ou have yet to see Carmilla. 

You have been here for about a week now- a full seven days of you being mostly naked in a grimey prison, and feeding on animal blood. Most of your time is spent pacing, waiting for Carmilla to come around. 

Hector refuses to talk to you since Lenore’s visit. Since his failed attack on the woman he’s been in a sour mood, groundling that you’re “one of them”. Personally, you think that’s rich coming from the man that betrayed his master so easily. Though Lenore visits every now and again, usually trying to get closer to the forgemaster. Often dropping off bits of food for him and human blood for you. 

“Are you finally going to tell me what happened?” She asks exasperated. You have been dancing around giving her a straight answer to what exactly happened to you much to her irritation. You told her just about everything from your first night with Dracula to now. But you never dare approach the topic of what led you to be there in his castle to begin with. 

“It’s not that simple.” You mumble, shifting uncomfortably.

“Then  _ make _ it simple- I need to know so that I can  _ help _ you.” She counters, growing frustrated, “I can’t help make your case if you won’t work with me here.”

“ _ Listen _ .” You plead, “I told you something happened that night, something  _ personal,  _ I can’t share it with you, not yet.”

The vampire searches your features, looking for any hints of dishonesty. When she doesn’t find any she softens ever so slightly, taking on a pitying expression. The pity shifts to concern as she begins to realize something. 

“You weren’t...” She pauses, trying to find the right words, “... touched in any way, were you?”

“ _ No, _ no, nothing like that.” You assure her, your hand brushing against the back of your neck, “But… it’s almost as bad.”

The redhead frowns at that, you could practically hear the gears turning in her head trying to understand what you meant. 

“Why don’t you come with me for a moment?” She requests, catching you off guard. 

“What?”

“We’re going on a little walk.” She makes the decision for you. 

“Wait!” You yelp, catching her attention, “Can I at least get a shirt or something first?”

“I suppose it wouldn’t look good to have you walking around naked.” She mutters, “Warden Lambert, could you do me a favour and fetch me some spare clothes?”

“Right away, Lady Lenore.” The warden- Lambert you suppose- quickly excuses himself and hurried off to do as she asked. 

“He’s a nice man, you know.” Lenore smiles, “Always ready to get the job done.”

The two of you sat in a comfortable silence waiting for your clothes. When warden Lambert returns, the woman thanks him as she slides the garbs to you through the bars. You unfold the fabric and are greeted with a large shirt- clearly intended for a giant of a man. It’s allegedly a shirt but it would hang more like a dress on your comparatively smaller form. You slide into it and roll the sleeves up to your elbows. 

She grabs a length of rope and moves to the door. With a series of metallic clicks the door screeches open. Before you could set foot outside she stops you. 

“Hands please.” She orders firmly but gently. You offer your hands to her and she quickly binds them in the rough cord. She gives you an apologetic look before waving for you to follow her. You comply of course and let her lead you through the familiar halls. She stops suddenly in front of a set of imposing oaken doors. 

“In here.” She urges you. “Good luck!”

She shoves you inside before slamming the door behind you. You hear the lock click shut- you try the door just to be sure and it doesn’t budge. 

“ **_You._ ** ” The voice makes you freeze. Your eyes met icy blue and you’re sent reeling. Carmilla stands mere feet away from you- her face drawn in all harsh lines. 

“ _ Shit. _ ”

———

Carmilla rose when the sun finally set.

She entered the main hall, her eyes barely open and a scowl etched in her features. You would have brought up your newfound concerns if she hadn’t fixed you with strong glare. You promptly sat back down in your seat as she stormed to the overseer. 

“Have the men prepare for the expedition, we leave in one hour.” She announced wearily, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, “Have someone take the Forgemaster to be fitted with some kind of protection.” 

The man nodded, and rose from his seat. He gestures for you to follow and you were quick to obey, he opened the door and ushered you outside. The air was biting against your skin and you pulled your arms close to your body. He didn’t falter in his pace leading you around the building to a cellar door. He hauled the heavy doors open and directed you down the steep stairs. Immediately you were hit with the smell of burnt metal and smoke. The sound of metal against metal filled your ears as you descended the narrow stairway. 

The hall opened up into an open room. The area was spacious but cluttered with metal working instruments and raw materials. A person had their back to you, moving a glowing billet of steel from the anvil to the forge. They hunched over the pit forge, moving coals around with a dowel. 

“Anton!” The overseer shouted over the noise. ‘Anton’ paused whatever it was they were doing and peeked over at you. They were an older woman, long black hair pulled back into a long braid, a pair of goggles strapped over her tired eyes. 

“Aleksandr!” She greeted pleasantly, a smile crossed her face, “To what do I owe the pleasure.”

“I need you to gear up this one here.” He patted your shoulder, “She’s a delicate one so be careful.”

“Yeah, yeah I’ll handle it.” She sighed, “Why is it that you only come to me when you ‘need’ something.”

She didn’t get an answer. The overseer had already left back out the door shouting a quick ‘good luck’ as he shut the door. The woman let out a frustrated huff and turned her gaze back to you. She regarded you with idle curiosity, taking a step closer to you. 

“Alright newbie, what kinda armour are you looking to have?” She asked, clapping her hands.

“U-uh, I don't really…” You trailed off unhelpfully. 

“Sit, sit, I’ll be back in a second to take your measurements.” 

She waved at a small wooden crate off to the corner. You carefully situated yourself onto the box as she went about the room searching for whatever. You idly inspected the table beside you and found it marred with graffiti- all sorts of names scratched into stone. An especially crude remark regarding the overseer made you chuckle. 

There was also a well worn book open that caught your eye. From what you could tell it was arcane in nature, the sigils in it were unfamiliar- foreign. You were about to take a closer look when her voice broke the silence. 

“So, what brings a human like you out to the middle of assfuck nowhere?” You heard the woman call brashly, “Food usually isn’t given protective armours.”

“Oh, I’m a forgemaster, I’m here to help with the monster problem.” You answered, “I figured I know my way around a night creature well enough to be of  _ some  _ use.”

The woman stumbled over her workspace clutching a notched leather strip. She stood in front of you and lifted your arms up. You complied and watched as she wrapped the length of it around your bust. 

“Forgemaster, huh?” She asked skeptically, “Heard of them- and their human magic.”

“What kinda magic do you use? If any I mean.”

“A little bit of everything.” She pulled the tape down to your waist, “The book there has been good for teaching me runes and such.”

“What do runes do?” You inquired.

“Just about anything really.” The older woman hummed, “Depending on how you write them- some are for mending, some can make fires, even reanimate things. Personally, I use them to make my armour stronger.”

“Fascinating.” You mumbled. The smith didn't say anything more on the subject, instead choosing to measure the length of your torso. An awkward silence filled the air as she went about collecting your measurements. 

“So, why’re you here?” You asked, trying to spark up conversation. 

“I fucked up  _ real _ bad with someone high up.” She chuckled, waving an arm around at the room around her, “But I’m too valuable to get rid of so they just put me  _ all _ the way out  _ here _ with the rest of the rabble.”

She got up and paced towards a pile of loose bits of plate armour. She held up a metal gaiter, and tossed it in your direction, the shin guard was followed by another, then thigh guards. In no time at all you had a whole set of armour right in front of you. You crouched over the chestplate and inspected it. It was old, rusting around the edges; scratches and dents littered it’s tarnished surface. 

“It’s not pretty but at least try it on and see how it fits.” Anton lamented. 

You hefted the torso piece up, and found it was heavier than anything you had ever worn. With its weight on your shoulders you barely had the strength to sit up. As you strained to get into a standing position but quickly fell right back down onto your back. With a long sigh you slid yourself out of the armour. 

“Yeah, that’s not gonna work.” You panted. 

You looked to the woman who raised a brow, with an amused grin. She sighed dramatically before fetching a much lighter chainmail vest for you. You pulled the mail on and quickly strapped yourself into the rest of the gear. 

“That’ll work.” She said simply, looking you up and down. 

“Alright.” You muttered, adjusting your coat, “Thanks for everything, Anton!”

“It’s no problem.” The woman drawled. 

You quickly ascended the staircase and placed a hand on the handle. 

“A word of advice?” She offered suddenly, leaning on the doorframe of her workshop, “Try not to stay here too long, this place has a habit of dragging people down with it.”

You nodded thoughtfully before pushing through the door into the cold. You trudged your way back through the snow and back into the main building of the outpost. The overseer eyed you with the same mild disinterest as before as you took your spot across from him. You reclined in your chair with a sigh. 

You already knew this wouldn’t have been a good mission. 

The sound heels on stone demanded attention. You craned your neck up and Carmilla was crossing the room to you. Her usual red gown swapped out for protective gear. The chestpiece was ornate, black plated armour with wine red accents running the length of it; a dark fur draped over her shoulders. Thigh high boots covered the majority of her legs in rich black leather. Underneath she had a grey high collared coat, and leggings. 

“Finally. We can leave now.” She announced, “Come along, forgemaster, you’ll need these.”

She held out your gloves in a clawed hand. It was then you noticed she was wearing gloves herself with long metal talons strapped onto them. Gingerly you plucked the silken fabric from her grasp and pocketed them. She stared at you for a beat longer then ushered you out into the cold again. A path was carved through the snow to the rest of the camp, those who came with you two were all suited up and ready to march. The sound of metallic rattling resounded through the air as the soldiers stood at attention. 

“We’re going on our.” Her tone was frigid, “We leave immediately.”

That was enough to get the knights up and moving, they retrieved their horses and got ready to leave. A stablehand hurriedly brought the albino her horse; the man vanished as soon as she took the lead from him. She climbed up onto her horse and urged it forward, leaving you in her dust. You brushed the snow from your coat and glanced around for your ride. You were directed to yet another cart and you were forced to endure another rickety trek through the Styria wilderness. All the while you were searching along the tree line, searching for any signs of feral night creatures. You didn’t find any, and that only made you anxious. 

The second you entered the town there was a tangible change in the air. There was something about the place that felt like arsenic settling into your chest. You shook off the feeling, drowning it out in the sensation of snow against your skin. 

You shivered, unsure if it was from the atmosphere or the cold. The town was old, falling into ruins around you. Homes and stores alike reduced to little more than a few walls and rubble. The group fanned out, spreading across the street in front of the old chapel, torches lit and weapons drawn. 

“Everyone! We don't know what we’re up against so stay close and if you see anything say something.” A man announced. A chorus of ‘yes sir’ was droned by the collective. 

Carmilla took the lead, stepping forth to open the doors. With an ancient groan they gave way to reveal the run down innards of the building. A hole in the roof let in some light as well as some snow from the snowfall this evening. Torchlight illuminated a thick layer of dust that has settled across almost every surface, except for the altar which was strangely almost pristine. Even the crucifix was still where it should have been, the massive statue still hung on the wall. 

A strong draft rushed past you and the door shut with a thunderous clatter. Shouts rang out as some men tried to reopen the doors. 

Your stomach dropped like a stone in the water. Something was horribly wrong and your subconscious was picking up on it. The feeling only intensified as you approached the altar. Deep gouges marred the wood, claw marks scattered about but cantering on the wall to the left of the sanctuary. 

Whatever was here was definitely not human. 

The vampiric woman inspected the wall the marks led to. She tapped her knuckles against the stone and you were met with a hollow noise. The icy woman cocked an arm back before punching a hole clear through the stone and plaster. The debris cleared to reveal a stairway leading deeper into the ground. 

A fresh wave of dread consumed you like a flame to a forest. 

“I don’t like this.” You heard someone whisper. 

“Like it or not we’re going in there and killing whatever’s down there; unless you have a better idea?” Carmilla shot a glare at the individual who promptly shrunk under her gaze, “Glad we’re on the same page.”

She swiped a torch of the man beside her and held it ahead of her as she descended. You followed her soon after, pushed in by the crowd. 

The long staircase led to an expansive crypt just beneath the main building; it’s ceiling so high that the light barely touched it. The air was acrid, smelling of blood and old rot. Coffins and remains were shoved off to the side to make room for a large circle in the middle of the room. Upon closer inspection the circle was surrounded by strange marks- magic of some kind-  _ runes.  _ The same runes you had been shown earlier that night. The  _ same  _ runes that the blacksmith had in that book of hers. 

What did she say they could do again? Mending, fires, armours- but what was missing? You were forgetting one and it was just on the tip of your tongue. Just then a man beside let out a scream before falling silent with a sickening crunch. 

All at once your muscles tensed and you felt everything happen in slow motion. You watched the lifeless body fall to the ground with a thump, eyes not lingering on its form as you looked to the source of the carnage. There just a few feet away was something so utterly revolting it took a full minute to understand what you were looking at. 

An amalgam of sorts. A grotesque patchwork of flesh- new and old, fresh and decayed- cobbled together into a monstrous form. The creature’s enormous arm was just muscles, tendons, broken limbs pulled and shaped into its hands. It’s maw a collection of jawbones hastily stitched together lined with teeth from both humans and animals. It eyed you through milky white eyes before letting out an ungodly screech that shook you to your core. 

_ “Shit.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unsubtle foreshadowing is unsubtle.


	11. Claws and Teeth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The claws come out and you find fates far worse than their sharpness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo ho it’s ya boi the OP here again with a new chapter.   
> Heck of a week these last two days have been lmao.   
> Anyhow we got relationship development for better for worse is in this chapter. The Big Fight(TM) will be in the next chapter I think so cheers to that. As always I didn’t proofread so like if anything looks weird lemme know.   
> Besides that I hope you all have a good day and enjoy the story.

**Y** ou aren’t going to leave this room alive. 

You pressed your back to the door, ignoring the growing ache on the back of your shoulders. Carmilla leers at you with a mix of disgust and anger. You mentally curse Lenore, promising to haunt her when you die. She storms to you and you keep her gaze. You don’t cower- not visibly at least- you take a deep breath and stand up straight. You almost flinch when her hand grips the collar of your shirt fiercely. She drags you up the wall, her eyes dark and on you like a tattoo. 

_ “You have some nerve.” _ She seethes. 

“Carmilla, I-“ You’re cut off by the woman slamming you against the door. 

“You know, it takes a  _ special _ kind of fucked up to disguise yourself as a dead woman.” She presses you harder against the oaken doors, “ _ Especially _ if it’s just to hurt me.”

The burning sensation across your back only intensifies and you gasp harshly. It felt like hot coals set against your skin, with every twitch it grows more agonizing. You would double over if you had the luxury. Your breaths come out in short puffs as you force yourself to focus on the person in front of you. You try to arch your back away from the wood but the vampire’s hold doesn’t budge. 

“So who put you up to it? Hm?” She demands in a low voice, “If you answer honestly I  _ promise _ I won’t drag this out.”

“No one!” You cried, “I swear it’s me-“

You answer clearly isn’t the one she wanted as she throws you to the floor. Your ears ring as the air gets knocked from you and you choke. You roll onto your stomach and attempt to push yourself up but a heel on your back stops you. You hear the albino laugh bitterly. 

“ _ Liar. _ ” She hisses, “ _ Someone put you up to it. _ ”

“No! You have to bel-“

“ _Oh, someone_ had to have.” She snaps. Any reply you could have given is snuffed out by a sharp kick delivered to your side. You yelp, nails digging into your palms to alleviate the pain. “If you were _really_ _her_ , what reason would have for being in Dracula’s castle?”

She picks you up by the back of your shirt and effortlessly hurls you at a wall. You fly square into the door, the back of your head smacking hard against it. Your vision goes starry as your body falls limply. Your reprieve doesn’t last long as the blue eyed woman grabs you by the throat and hoists you back to your feet. You grasp at her hand, weakly trying to pull it off you. 

“If you were _really_ _her_ , then how could you have left me to think you were dead?” She narrows her eyes and tightens her grip, “ _If you were_ ** _really_** _her, then why would have waited all this time to come back to me?_ ”

She watches you struggle with uncaring eyes, but you could see her icy demeanour was slipping. You give her a pleading look, desperate to get a word in. She doesn’t let you, instead she slams you down one last time. The sheer force sends you clear through the now splintered door. You land hard against the opposing wall. You gaze up at her through the concussive fog that clouded your head. 

“You are  _ not _ the woman I loved.” The words sting more than anything in your life, “I don’t give a fuck if you  _ were _ her, she died years ago, I’ve moved on.”

The words tumbled from her mouth like poison, thick and venomous. It takes a few moments to process the weight of what she said. She didn’t care that it was you anymore. She wouldn’t love you as she did before. 

You lay there, shocked and hurt. You aren’t sure how long it is until she summons her guards. They half drag half carry you back to your cell. The whole time you were dead weight- soreness and emotional exhaustion has taken its toll on your body. The second you cross the barred threshold you let your eyes fall shut. You sigh heavily against the stone wall behind you. You begin to wonder:

_ Was there any saving you? _

———

Every part of you screamed ‘no’. 

Your mind was in vehement denial in what was in front of you, the beast lumbering mere inches from you. You watched in abject horror as it spat out what remained of the man’s head. The skull was caved in and hardly recognizable as a human. Your body finally caught up with your mind and you scrambled backwards choking back a scream. The lighting was scant now, the form of the abomination barely illuminated by sparse torches. You caught sight of it’s chest which was a mess of rotting sinew pulled taught over jagged rib bones. With every slow movement it heaved, billowing a putrid scent into the air. 

The tense silence was broken by soldier charged forth, their spear pierced through the creature easily. But the amalgamation hardly reacted. It raised a colossal hand and batted them away, unbothered by their attacks. Every ensuing slash, every stab and cleave was healed over in mere seconds- flesh knitting itself back together.

“How the  _ fuck _ do we kill this thing?” You heard Carmilla growl. 

You wracked your brain working on an answer. 

The creature obviously wasn’t forged. While revolting it wasn’t transformed, it wasn’t beastly. You doubted it was a conjuration- if that were the case there would have to be someone within range to make the thing tangible. 

You backed yourself as far away from the fighting as you could. The creature rushed forward and knocked people to the side, leering directly at the white haired vampire. It charged at her but she dodged easily, her claws scoring gashes across it’s sides. It screeched and it was unclear if it was from pain or anger. 

There was also necromancy. You knew a lot about necromancy in theory however it’s practices were still a bit of a mystery. You knew that required a body or more, the state of them didn’t matter. However, the body's composition wouldn’t change- wouldn’t grow or become stronger- the way this thing was healing wasn’t something that could be done with that magic. 

All that was left was reanimation. 

What separated it from necromancy is the fact reanimation didn’t have such strict rules. Necromancy relied on a magic user performing spells to resurrect but reanimation was based on markings- circles and runes drawn in blood and ink. Much like the markings in the middle of the room. The drawback was that the summon would be bound to stay within a certain radius of its circle. 

How to stop it was something you weren’t sure of; but you had to guess if you broke the circle you would break the spell. 

The amalgam ripped its way through the soldiers, only a handful of them remained. 

“Carmilla!” You shouted, “The sigil!”

“What?” She cast a glance at you just in time to be on the receiving end of a hard punch. 

You didn’t have time to feel guilty as the amalgam’s focus shifted to you now. You weren’t able to dodge out of the way in time and it crushed your left leg before careening into the wall behind you. It thundered against it and swayed hard before falling to the ground. A scream tore from your throat as you were blinded by the pain in your leg. 

You desperately pushed yourself away from the abomination using your good leg. You knew the monstrosity would recover any second so you clawed your way to markings on the ground. The runes were drawn in ink or some kind of stainer- no matter how hard you scuffed the heel of your palm against them. You swore repeatedly under your breath as the pressure mounted. No matter how much you tried there was no erasing this thing. 

The beast roared as it reared again, it’s arm raised ready to strike you down. You closed your eyes and tensed, bringing your arms up in a feeble attempt to save yourself. There were a million ways you could have died this week alone and yet this had to be the one. With a token leg, here in a decrepit basement in a church surrounded by people who were at best indifferent towards you, about to be mauled by an abomination straight out of a nightmare. 

You would cry if you had the capacity to at this point. 

Just as you expected the blow to land there was a crash but no impact. You peeked an eye open and found Carmilla in guarding you from the attack. She was facing you, her back taking the brunt of the attack. Her hair was disheveled and covered in bits of rubble, a dark bruise taking shape along her left cheekbone. She looked at you frantically- almost worried for you if you hadn’t known better. She scanned you quickly, to ensure you were still in one piece before snarling an angry ‘Fucking move!’. You scampered away just in time for her to redirect the hit onto the ground below. 

Once more she was taking on the amalgamation alone, everyone else either dead or dying. 

Desperately you looked for a solution and you found one in the corpse beside you. In the heat of the moment you had forgotten the forging gloves you had stowed away in your pocket. You fished hen out and quickly forged the body anew. The body shifted and grew into a massive bipedal boar-like beast; it huffed sharply as it rose to its feet. You ordered it to attack the beast and it did so without question. 

The Minoboar( haha get it? ‘Cause it sounds like Minotaur. ) slammed into the thing with great strength, disorienting it just enough for you to warn the albino. 

“Carmilla! you have to break the spell circle.” You explained, pointing to the runes on the ground, “It’s the only way to kill this thing.”

“I doubt it’ll be that easy.” She remarked leering at you, skepticism in her features. The two of you glanced over at the fighting beasts when your boar howled as it head-butted the amalgam, it’s tusks digging into its flesh. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t falter and the monstrosity simply shook it off and threw your night creature aside like nothing. With renewed vigour the abomination charged at you. 

“Just fucking break the damn thing!” You screamed. Hurriedly she crouched down to the markings she cocked her arm back, ready to break it. Carmilla brought her claws down wrent the stone apart. The beast stilled suddenly- as paralyzed for just a moment- before thrashing wildly. It bucked and shrieked, ripping apart at the seams with every movement until all that remained of it was a mess of parts and a black tar-like substance. 

The vampire grimaced and stepped away from its corpse, her hand pinching her nose. You fell to the ground, a breathless chuckle left you. Relief was quickly replaced by pain as you moved your leg, taking in a sharp breath and immediately catching onto the scent of the remains. 

“This has to be… one of the  _ worst _ fucking days of my life.” You gasped, then you gestured to the runes, “Can I get a little help with my leg.”

The woman rolled her eyes but wrapped your arm over her shoulder as she helped you to the stairs. She insisted on carrying you up them, claiming this was easier. You didn't complain, just silently enjoyed the closest thing to pampering you’ll get from her. The sanctuary was deathly silent as before- the doors still sealed shut. Your night creature came up behind you and gestured for Carmilla to step aside. She begrudgingly obeyed and moved a few paces behind the boar. 

The two of you watched as the Minoboar wound up before smashing the door in with its head. It came away with little damage, your beast huffed in frustration before charging again. This time the wood cracked under the weight of the hit. He roared as he rushed forth one last time and cleared a large hole in the heavy doors. With almost visible pride he shook himself off and stepped away to let you through. You thanked him as you were carried through and you could have sworn it preened at the remark. 

“Oh, by the way, I think I know who did this.” You stated as you were placed back into the cart you were brought in. 

“Do tell. I have some choice words for the sick fuck that caused this mess.”

“The weaponsmith back at the outpost had a book of runes just like the ones here mentioned reanimating things with them.” You explained, “It’s worth looking into, at least.”

The vampire responded with a disinterested hum before going back inside the church, presumably to check for survivors. She returned a few moments later with a handful of limping knights. The ones who lived saddled back up and readied for the return home, tired and sluggish. Your new summons walked behind your cart and you had a short one sided conversation with him. You’d ask him a question and he would either nod or shake his head in response. You found him to be a prideful one- stubborn too- he was endearing. 

“You’re not hurt are you?” The beast shook his head firmly, pounding a fist against his chest, “Strong, huh?”

He nodded, standing a little taller. Before long your cart came to a slow stop, the people around you dismounting with pained grunts. You were about to have your new friend assist you to the ground but Carmilla was already slinging your arm over her shoulder and wrapping hers around your waist. 

“Uh, you don’t have to help me, my night creature can carry me.” You said meekly. 

“I don’t trust that brutish thing.” She scoffed and the creature let out a low noise, “Besides I still need you to confirm the runes are the same as the ones we encountered.” 

You sighed heavily and complied. You followed her lead, hobbling to the cellar doors, she carried you down the stairs once again insisting it was faster. She stepped into the room, setting you back on your feet. 

“Ask her about the runes, I’ll be listening.” She whispered before ducking around the corner. With great effort you hopped to the forge and called for the blacksmith. Anton looked up from her workbench, setting her pencil aside to greet you. 

“Forgemaster! Good to see you’re in one piece.” She caught sight of your broken leg, “-ish”

“Yeah, the mission was kind of a bust.” You muttered, trying to play cool, “I’m here to give back the armour you loaned me.”

She nodded thoughtfully, helping you to a crate to help take off your gear. 

“So what happened?” She asked, delicately working on peeling the gaiter from your busted leg. 

“It was the damndest thing, we went into that church and there was this huge monster.” You cringed as she slid the leather from your shin, “Strangest thing was what we found in the crypt.”

“Oh?” She droned, working on the other shin guard. 

“Yeah it had all these markings on the ground- weird shit.” You explained, “You know, they actually kind of looked like the ones you had in that book of yours.”

Her hands stilled. You were put on edge as she went quiet. Worriedly you peered down at her. 

“Anton?”

“Just a little too smart for your own good, eh?” Was her almost casual response. Carmilla stepped out from behind the wall and the woman’s face soured. In the blink of an eye the weaponsmith was behind you, pressing a knife to your throat, “Carmilla, haven’t seen you in a while, how have you been?”

“Anton, I take it you’re behind this?” She asked, drawing closer. 

“You even still remember my name- I'm flattered.” She chuckled, “Maybe I am, maybe I’m not.”

“It’s awfully suspicious that you’ve taken my forgemaster hostage.” She drawled, bored, “All I want to know is why.”

“Why?” She laughed bitterly, “You want to know why?”

She was cackling madly, Carmilla watched stoically, apathetic to this. 

“Because I loved you! For years!” She exclaimed, pulling the knife closer to your neck, “I was completely loyal to you and only you. And you repaid me by throwing me to the wolves!”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“The second I stepped a toe out of line you had them send me to this shit pit!” She waved an arm around, “I bet you’d do the same for your new pet here too.”

Subdued anger crossed the woman’s face but faded as fast as it came. The other woman seemed to have caught it as you did and she grinned wider. 

“Did I strike a nerve?” She giggled, “Don’t like being reminded of the shit you pulled?”

“If I remember correctly it wasn’t just a toe out of line.” She remarked, “I’m fairly certain you crossed many lines when you killed the guard captain to practice your fucking magic on his corpse.”

“But it was all for  _ you. _ ” She stressed, “I learned magic so I could be of  _ use  _ to  _ you. _ ”

“I’m starting to realize you’re not worth the headache.” She announced, “Let her go so I can get this over with.”

“Take a step closer and I’ll slit her throat.” The older woman threatened. 

“Oh, spare me.” She sighed. In a flash the albino woman had the blacksmith by the jaw. The knife clattered to the ground and you shift away from the two. The silvery claws of the blue eyed vampire drew blood as she gripped the woman tighter. The look in her eyes was a mockery of pity. 

“You forget,  _ dear _ Anton, that I am far stronger than you.” She crooned cruelly, using her other hand to brush the hair from her face, “You forget your place.” 

Anton broke eye contact with Carmilla to meet your gaze. 

“She’ll only use you, just as she used me.” She hissed at you. 

A beat passed before the other woman crushed her jaw with a harsh crack. She fell to the ground clutching her chin a long agonized whine left her. Tears welled up in her eyes as she stared up at the white haired woman. 

“Send my regards to the guard captain, I’m sure you’ll see each other around.” And with a harsh stomp the whimpers were silenced. 

Carmilla drew in a slow breath she turned back to face you, wordlessly she picked you back up and left the room. Neither of you spoke a word as she returned you to her room. She set you down on the chair by the desk and left the room, returning a moment later with a doctor. 

The doctor greeted you before crouching down to look at your leg. He rolled up your pant leg and prodded at the broken bone, causing you to yelp and jerk away. The whole time you felt the woman’s eyes burning on you. He made a low noise at the back of his throat. 

“Compound fracture, it needs to be reset quickly.” He gruffed out, “Sit on the floor with your leg straight.”

You eased yourself on the floor extending your leg, he adjusted its position before handing you a thick leather strip. 

“Bite down on this. It’s going to hurt.” You accepted the strip and brought it to your mouth, “I’ll reset the bone on three, alright?”

You nodded, nerves bubbling in your chest. 

“Okay.” He grumbled, “One… two-“

Before he got to three he snapped the bones into place. You bit down hard as you let out a long shriek. The pain was just as bad as having the damn thing broken and you dug your nails into your thigh. 

“What the hell was that!? I thought it was on three!” You demanded through tears. 

“If I’d gotten to three you would have tensed and it wouldn’t set right.” He droned matter-of-factly, splinting your leg. 

You would have argued if Carmilla hadn’t dismissed the man as soon as he finished. She picked you back up and set you down on her bed. It was the first time in probably years you’ve actually had the chance to lay down on one. You were confused to say the least. Your brow furrowed and you search her face. 

She stared back at you, expressionless face and a certain softness in her eyes. She left you there in her bed, closing the door behind her with a soft click. You found it hard to believe that, that was the same woman from before. The cruelty she exhibited to the blacksmith contrasted starkly against the strange bout of kindness she showed you just now. 

You didn’t want to think of the brutality she was capable of should you ever turn on her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise surprise the blacksmith did it. in the last two chapters like 3 different doors were broken down so I guess we fuckin hate doors in this house.


	12. The Things We Do For Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Put your ear to my heart or set your teeth against my throat. 
> 
> (You stand before Carmilla, an offer extended to one and a decision to be made by the other.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Afternoon everyone hope you’re having a good day!  
> So this took a long time to write- so much so that i overshot my original deadline by like over a week. The fight scene was hard to write cause I kept making Carmilla have really good and solid points. Anyhow, as always- with no proofreading- here’s the latest chapter weighing in at 5.3k words! I hope you enjoy!

**Y** our body aches with every breath, you feel completely bruised head to toe. 

In the wake of being crushed through a solid oaken door, your whole spine feels so compressed you’re amazed you can move. Though, the discomfort of the stiffness is nothing compared to the countless wood chips embedded in your back. A particularly large splinter is plucked from the base of your neck, causing you to grimace. It reminds you of a time when you were younger, when you had been on the receiving end of a porcupine’s quills. 

“How could you leave me alone with her, Lenore?” Your voice, high and accusatory. 

“How was I supposed to know she was going to throttle you? I’m not a mind reader.” She answers feigning innocence, placing the wood shrapnel into the bowl.

“Yeah, well, you don’t need to know how to read mind to tell that she hates my guts.” You retort.

“Is that the impression you got? Honestly, ever since you two got back she’s been sulking about in her room.” She remarks casually, “I figured if I locked you in there you two would just fuck and make up.”

You flush slightly, at the brazen remark. This wasn’t something one could just ‘fuck and make up’ over. This was something no amount of kind words or grand gestures could hope to smooth over- not that she ever cared about such things anyways. You know that even if you defy the odds and manage to win her back over there’s no guarantee it would ever be as before. You dread that lack of normalcy between you most. Having to confront all that changed in those five years frightens you in a way you can’t quite put words to. 

“I can hear you thinking from here.” The vampire teases, “You shouldn’t be so negative- I’m sure if you get a word in you could make it work.”

“Hah, yeah, _‘if’_ .” You scoff, “I’m certain that ‘ _if_ ’ I were to even enter the same room as her again she’d maul me on sight.”

“If you want, I can make her talk to you.” She offers, chuckling at you, “I could even make sure she doesn’t ‘ _maul_ ’ you.” She teases.

“I really don’t think there’s any saving this.” You muse solemnly, “Just throw me out to the vultures when she’s through with me.”

There’s a brief pause as Lenore’s hand is still on your shoulder. For a moment you think she finally feels the gravity of your situation- but then she speaks:

“You know, I don’t think vultures are around this time of year but I’m sure we can arrange something.” She says it thoughtfully, for a moment you’re certain she was serious. A second passes before she bursts out laughing, “Relax, you know better than anyone else that she’s a lot softer than she lets on, I’m sure you’ll get through to her.”

You hear her set her tweezers down with a soft clatter. 

“Alright, that’s about it for your shoulders, mind if I take a look at your back?” She asks. Her fingers are already curling under the hem of the shirt. Your heart leaps into your throat, and -before you even know what you’re doing- you snap her wrist up in a white knuckled grip. Your chest is cold, hollow, heavy- a stark comparison to the ever present blistering heat of your back. It flashes in the back of your mind- the room, the alter, the knife. Your breaths come in shallow puffs, your mind racing a mile a minute as you scrabble to keep your mind away from the pain. 

You only really come back to yourself when the redhead moves in front of you. It’s then you notice you dug your nails into her tightly. You tentatively let her go, muttering a shaky apology. 

“Care to explain what that was?” She inquires nonchalantly, rubbing her wrists.

“I- it must be the hunger- it’s, uh, really messing with me I guess.” You lie, managing an uneasy smile despite your pain, “Can we just… put this off to tomorrow? I’m sure I’ll live as I am.”

The vampire doesn’t buy it for a second.

“We both know you’re lying, I’ll ask again: what was that?” She questions, red irises boring into you. You shift under her gaze, struggling to meet her eyes as you try to explain yourself. 

“There’s… a good reason why I wasn’t able to come back… I was bound to him- still am.” There’s a shake in your voice as you struggle to find the right words, “It feels like it’s killing me.”

“And your reaction to me pulling your shirt up?”

“There’s scarring.” You answer simply, hoping she doesn’t pry. 

“We can have someone give you a check up and find some way to treat it, it can’t be that bad.” She says dismissively, “It would be best to let me at least take a look- just to make sure I got all your splinters.”

“Do you have to?” Your voice is almost whining. 

“It wouldn’t do for you to come all the way here and die of an infection.”

“Vampires can get infections?”

“Only weak ones, and you’re exceptionally weak.” She replies, and had you any sense of dignity you would find that insulting, but instead you sigh heavily. 

“Fine.” You relent with great hesitation, knowing nothing good would come of fighting her, “Only to get the splinters.”

“Of course.” The woman smiles victoriously, “May I?”

Her hand once again brushes the hem of your shirt. You tense and she seems to catch onto your discomfort because she pauses. You give her a stiff nod over your shoulder and she gently peels the fabric away. You hear her gasp softly- so quiet you could have missed it. You feel a cold hand brush against the expanse of raw skin that made up your back and you jerk away from her touch. The flesh long since mangled with gouges and divots that all centered between your shoulder blades. 

“Binding runes.” The woman surmises. The crudely drawn runes cover the majority of your back, starting from the base of your neck, across your shoulders and down to your waist. Each jagged marking thrumming with arcane energy, each line curving made with the intent to harm- the intent to leave scars. 

“Dracula’s cruelty was certainly no secret but this…” She states, “This is barbaric- even by his standards.”

“Is it? Because I recall enduring a similarly painful binding while staying here.” You wheeze, attempting a joke but the words feel bitter as they roll off your tongue. 

“Just because they have the same effect doesn’t mean it’s the same magic.” She answers, clicking her tongue, “I’ll have a magician do a proper examination first thing tomorrow, but first we should show this to Carmilla.”

“What? Why?” You question pulling your shirt down. 

“It’s clear evidence that staying there wasn’t your choice.” She says matter-of-factly, “Honestly I’m surprised you didn’t open with this.”

“I don’t want to tell her- I don’t want her to take me back out of guilt or pity; the choice should be hers.” You argue adamantly. 

“You’ll get yourself killed that way you know.” She scoffs, “A perfect opportunity to win her over, wasted.”

“And here I thought I was being pessimistic.” You joke dryly. 

“So, are you coming or am I going to have to drag you again?” She asks, already standing by the door. 

“What about the splinters?” You counter. 

“Yeah, there’s nothing there, I just wanted to see what you were hiding.” She levels, then cuts you off with a quick, “Now come on, let’s try this again.”

She snags one of your wrists in a firm grasp and hauls you out the door. You fuss and worry the whole walk there, your nerves getting the better of you. By the time you’re actually standing outside of her room your hands are wracked with tremors. Your breath refuses to steady and you clench your fists tightly. 

“Don’t worry, she probably won’t kill you this time, not while I’m here.” Lenore attempts to calm you, “If nothing else I’ll make sure she listened to what you have to say first.”

Needless to say that does very little to settle you. Despite this, you’re brought into Carmilla’s bedroom anyways, the other woman not even bothering to knock first. Once inside you find Carmilla draped across her loveseat, cradling a wine glass that is certainly not filled with wine. 

“Oh for god’s sake, would it kill you knock firs-“ She stops mid sentence when her gaze falls onto you. You meet her eyes and you let the familiar bittersweet fondness wash over you. 

“Carmilla I-“ You don’t get the chance to speak, her expression darkens and in an instant she charges, like lightning she moves to strike you. In your weakened state all you can do is flinch back and cower. You’re frozen, your undead heart beating a staccato beat in your chest, waiting for the blow to land. 

But it doesn’t come. 

You look up and see Lenore had placed a palm against the snowy haired woman’s clavicle and forced her pack with a hard shove. The woman staggers back a few steps before righting herself and fixing the vampire with a snarl. 

“Wow she really _was_ ready to maul you on sight.” Mutters Lenore, evidently shocked, “Unfortunately I won’t let you do that until you’ve heard her out first.”

“Wait, what? Lenore, what do you mean until?” You ask frantically, fear clamouring it’s way into your face. The diplomat gives you an apologetic look but says nothing. A heavy feeling settles into your gut, at her implication- there’s no room for error here. 

You nod to the redhead and she backs off, stepping off to the side. Carmilla’s glare is unwavering as it resettles onto your form, she shifts her weight onto one leg, rising a brow impatiently. You take a steadying breath before inching closer to her. 

“I know you believe me when I say it’s me.” You begin, struggling keeping yourself from shaking, “You wouldn’t have kept me around this long otherwise.”

“Can you really be sure?” She retorts coldly, “Because all I see is a stranger in front of me.”

Her words sting but you shrug them off, continuing: “You could have dealt with me sooner if you didn’t care.”

“I don’t owe you any explanations.” She says, brushing you off then turning to Lenore, “Can I kill it _now?_ ”

“No.” Answers your spectator much to the blue eyed woman’s annoyance. Carmilla sighs heavily before turning away, retrieving her wineglass from the table. 

“I’m still the same woman you fell in love with, Carmilla.” You plead, drawing a bitter laugh from her lips. 

“Does it matter?” 

“Of course it does!” You declare boldly, “Just because things change doesn’t mean we should give up on us.”

“There is no ‘us’ anymore- you’re nothing more than a ghost from my past that refuses to stay dead.” She sips her ‘wine’, “Quite literally I might add.”

“Carmilla, I know you, I know you better than I know myself.” You profess, hazarding another step closer, “I know that you can only fall asleep on the right side of the bed, that you got imported Belgian chocolates every winter-“

“Enough.” She hisses, with her back to you. You can see her hand tense around the decanter so you press on. 

“- Your favourites were these dark chocolate ones that are incredibly expensive, you hate beer with a burning passion, you tell everyone your favourite colours dark red when it’s really pastel blue-“

“I said _enough!_ ” Her voice is hoarse, low and gravelly enough for you to feel it’s timbre in your chest. You don't have the chance to dwell on it, however, as she hurls the ornate bottle she was clutching at you. Her aim is devastating for someone who isn’t even looking at her target. You catch it with the side of your face. It shatters, spilling blood and broken glass across your cheek and shoulder. You inhale shakily, unintentionally taking in the acrid smell of the substance. It takes all your willpower to subdue your vampiric instincts that so desperately wants to feed on the blood. You focus solely on Carmilla and drown everything else out. 

“Carmilla, I _loved_ you with all my heart! And… _and I still do._ ” You say it quietly, reverently but it might as well have been shouted with how still the room was.The silence was tense, almost tangible in the air. The albino doesn’t speak, she stands unmoving, either seething with rage or merely in shock. You can’t exactly tell from where you stand so you elect to speak again.

“I’m still here, living and breathing, is that not enough for you?” You accuse, “I _died_ for you, but you won’t even give me the courtesy of facing me.”

She remains quiet and an impatient frustration grated at your nerves. You pace closer, no longer caring for your safety. 

“Did I ever even matter to you?!” Tears prick in your eyes, “Did you bother to even _look_ for me at all?!”

The room’s temperature drops several degrees but you're too angry to notice. A beat passes, then another, Lenore moves between you two in an attempt to mediate. However, in a flash Carmilla snaps your jaw into a tight grip, a snarl painted on her lips and- more surprisingly- tears rolling down her cheeks. 

“I spent _months_ searching for you!” She roars, shrugging Lenore off as if she was nothing, “Days and days without sleeping I read every _report_ , every _letter_ , every fucking _note_ made by our scouts.”

She shoves you to the ground and leers over you with an almost mournful scowl. 

“All we ever fucking found was _this_.” She wrenches a thin silvery chain from her neck and throws it at her feet. Soundlessly you gently pick up the necklace she threw down and inspect the charms on it. 

It’s your binding ring. 

A chill runs through you as you recall the feeling of it sliding off your dead hand. The plain red and black band paired with another slightly smaller one that you assume is hers, they hum gently with dormant energy. You shift your gaze from them to her who only glares harshly in return. 

“The temerity of you to ask that despite never making any attempt to return yourself.” She bites out. 

“I never had a choice, I was a prisoner.” You snap, the scars aching beneath your skin in recollection. 

“Ah yes, a prisoner, everyone knows prisoners are best kept on the battlefield armed and armoured.” She remarks wryly, “Did _you_ even try to come home?”

“Yes!” You exclaim, “Of course I tried to escape! Many times! There’s only so much a weakened fledgling can do against the oldest fucking vampire that lived!”

Bitter revulsion bubbled up at the accusation. How could you have _not_ tried to leave? Honestly, there were so many escape attempts, they started to blur together. The outcome was always the same- all ending in a resounding failure. The prospect of possibly seeing her again in the war council was the only thing that kept you alive. You’re unsure how to really put to words how much you endured trying to find your way back to her. 

Your gaze sinks back to the ground and settles on the bands that laid there. Feeling a rush of bittersweet memories, you carefully pick up the chain, running your fingers over the links. You can’t help but wonder what compelled her to keep it after everything that happened. You would think in the wake of your return she would grow to hate the trinket. Perhaps she still carries some kind of fondness for you. 

You decide to put that to the test. 

You push yourself up onto your shaking legs and stay where you are, within arm’s reach of her. You hold the rings out to her, your next words are carefully selected: 

“If you truly don’t care for me anymore, then I want you to say it to my face.” You say, meditative, “If you can do it, you can kill me.”

Your ultimatum hangs heavy in the air, the weight of it is tangible on your shoulders. A second ticks by in total silence. Then another, and you fidget nervously waiting for a response. There’s a slow, drawing of breath from her before she faces you. Her expression is that of cold disinterest but her eyes are more telling of her turmoil. 

“I was weak to ever let myself get close to you.” Her tone is low and bitter, edged with melancholy. However you notice how she dances around actually giving you a straight response.

“That isn’t an answer and you know it, Carmilla.” You speak softly, pleading. 

You’re only met with silence, and you take a half step closer and her; she doesn’t push you away, her eyes never leaving yours. For a moment you see a flash of something **_familiar_ ** in them- is it malice? Or perhaps it’s the barest hint of recognition and love? So desperately you wish it to be the latter but you know better than to get your hopes up too high. 

“Just tell me, honestly, _please._ ” You break eye contact to take one of her hands and place the necklace into her palm. You’re surprised she doesn’t bat you away or snarl at you. Instead she closes her fingers around it and grips it tightly. 

“I’m still weak.” She confesses, barely above a whisper, “I can’t bring myself to kill you, even now, despite everything I’ve done to convince myself it’s necessary.”

She drops the chain in favour of tugging you towards her, pulling you into a tight embrace. You tense, not expecting the sudden movement, your arms limp at yoursides. Her hands make fists in the back of your shirt as she buries her face in your shoulder. Eventually you will yourself to relax and return in kind, tentatively rubbing small circles along her back.

“I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to forgive you.” She murmurs solemnly, “Things will never be as they were before.”

You freeze.

“I know.” You soothe, “We’ll figure it out when we get there.”

———

The trek back to the castle was just as quiet as the walk there; thankfully, with much less tension. 

Everything went smoothly that night over at the outpost. The bodies were recovered and buried, the town swept and cleared, Anton’s books and tools collected for safekeeping. Your leg was still broken but you were at least given crutches to help get around. Not that they did you any good mind you, given that you were in the back of a cart again for the entire walk back. However, since the first night, you couldn’t shake the feeling of eyes on you. At first you dismissed it as simply your night creature but you had long since asked him to help the soldiers pack up camp. Every time you looked around to catch whoever was watching you, the feeling would vanish. It put you on edge. 

It wasn’t until the journey was at an end when you discovered it was Carmilla who was staring at you. You caught her practically glaring at you just out of the corner of your eye. If you were on edge before then this would be a whole new level. What could have prompted this? Was this about Anton? The hostage situation you landed yourself in with her? Or maybe she was merely hungry? None of the answers brought any comfort. 

Eventually the trolly rolled to a stop in the castle stables and you eagerly climbed out, careful to mind your broken leg. You grabbed your crutches and followed the rest of the guards inside the castle walls. You didn’t get very far as Lenore had already come up to greet you. 

“Welcome back!” She chirped, “How was your trip?”

“Well, we fixed their problem.” You replied, “There was a monster, and it broke my leg, but we killed it.”

“Poor thing.” She crooned, pulling you into a hug, “At least you’re home now.”

“Yeah… home.” You mutter awkwardly. 

The embrace felt overly friendly, her hand cupping the back of your head and tangling in your hair. You almost felt relief as Carmilla came storming in like a woman on mission. The albino wordlessly walks up to you two and snaps you up by the wrist and all but carries you away. You watched the redhead chuckle as she waved at your retreating form. 

“U-uh where are we going?” She didn’t answer, of course, it simply wasn’t her style. Instead she pulled you through the threshold of some kind of sickroom. 

She drops you on the low cot and calls the doctor from his office. There’s a few curses before a surly man steps out from the small room. He shot Carmilla a fatigued look before approaching you. He looks you up and down through the lenses of his bifocal glasses slinking to the chair beside you. 

“And just what seems to be the problem?” He asked tiredly, drawing a flask from his coat and taking a long swig. 

“Her leg is broken.” She spoke for you, “Just take a look at it and tell me how long it’ll be for it to heal.”

You didn’t miss how she called you a ‘she’ rather than an ‘it’. Though, you didn't get the chance to dwell on it as the doctor was quick to cut the splint and peel up your pant leg to assess the damage. He inspected your shin, every now and again asking if you felt him prodding it here and there. Soon enough he backed away and took another sip from his flask. 

“I give it three to five weeks.” The man drawled, “Probably less of you took it to one of those proper healers.”

She huffed before hauling you back up again and dragging you away to who knows where. You wanted to plant your feet and tell her to stop before she popped your arm from its socket. But something about the way her brow was set told you that would be a poor idea. So, you settled to let her corral you from A to B with little complaint. You were brought through another doorway- this time you were in what honestly looked more like a library than a place of healing. She sat you down at a desk and looked ready to take off again but you caught her by the wrist. Her attention snapped to you and you jerked your hand away as if It burnt you. You struggled to find the right words- hesitating under the intensity of her stare. 

“You don’t have to do this for me.” You assured her, “I can just have a night creature help me, it's no big deal.”

“I’ll be the one to decide what’s a ‘big deal’.” She snapped sharply, wrenching her arm from you, “Now if you’ll _excuse_ me.”

And she’s gone. 

Now you were left to wonder what exactly brought this on with her- this whole fussing thing. The logical part of your brain argued she only wanted you to be in a good condition in order to continue your work. The irrational part of your brain believed that she had grown to actually care about you, but would be ridiculous, wouldn’t it? Of course she didn’t care about you, those glares of hers alone were telling enough. You didn’t notice Carmilla returned until she stood across from you, healer in tow. The healer just went right to work, using magic to seal up the splintered bone. It was an odd sensation, the healing process but it didn’t last particularly long. 

“And this will _fully_ heal it?” She inquired skeptically. 

They nodded in response, too focused on their magic. Idly she shifted her gaze from your leg to your face and you met it nervously; it was hard to tell what she was thinking given her consistent mask of cool indifference. Her eyes didn’t leave yours until the healer pulled away, gesturing for you to move your leg. You roll your ankle experimentally, finding only mild soreness in its wake. 

“Thank you, it’s good as new.” You gave a small smile, “Is that everything?”

The magician nodded, then left the two of you alone, excused themself, retreating back between the shelves of the library. You slid yourself off the table, stretching your leg for the first time in a week. You realized that Carmilla hadn’t left you yet and an uneasiness settles over you like a thick blanket. 

“Do you need anything more from me?” You asked. 

“Nothing for now, you’re dismissed.” She responded after a moment of consideration. 

You sighed gratefully and practically sprinted out the door, rushing back to your room. You were so ready to sleep forever you could tolerate the omnipresent corpse smell. You found your luggage from your trip pushed off into the corner; you decided to sift through it earlier, for now you wanted to rest on a proper bed for the first time in almost a month. You kicked off your boots and shut your eyes, finally letting your tense shoulders relax. 

But of course rest never comes for you. 

A knock at your door startled you out of your skin. You bolted upright and looked to the source of the noise, and there in leaning against the doorway was Lenore, because of course she would want to pester you. With a frustrated groan you laid back on your cot, putting an arm over your eyes. You could hear her heels click against the stone as she approached. 

“I brought you some food.” You could hear her sweet expression. You groaned with bitter fatigue. The back and forth hadn’t even started yet and you were already tired of it. 

“Alright, you only give me nice things when something bad’s about to happen, so spill.” You grumbled, cutting straight to the point. 

“ _What? No_ , I would _never_ do that.” She lied, dramatically, “I just want to do a _little_ prying”

“ _Oh god here we go_.” You muttered, bracing for the teasing. 

“So are we going to talk about _that_?” She said pointedly as if you’d know what she was talking about. 

“What?”

“You know, Carmilla swooping in and taking you away?” She explained with a flourish, “Seemed like she was _jealous._ ”

“She just took me to get my leg fixed.” You assured her. 

“Aha! That’s what _you_ think!” She announced “But she looked _pretty_ heated when she saw us together.”

“Honestly, I’m _sure_ she just didn’t want me wasting my time.”

“If she wanted it done quickly she could have just asked me to take you to get your leg healed.” She retorted, “So, what _exactly_ went on between you two on that little excursion?”

You wanted to brush her off and go to sleep but there was a particular glimmer in her eyes that told you she wasn’t going to let this slide so easily. So you relented and sat upright. 

“Nothing.” You stated flatly, “We went there, killed the monster, killed the person that made the monster, then went home.”

“Give me _details!_ There has to be more to it than that!”

“The monster broke my leg?” You supplied, wiggling the mentioned limb.

“Seriously, did _anything at all_ happen between you two?” She pressed, brow raised skeptically, “Because, clearly, something happened with her.”

The realization struck you like a brick. “She took a hit that was intended for me…”

That got Lenore’s attention. She leaned in close, eyes glittering with intrigue. 

“Now, why would she do that?” She mused, tapping her chin with a barely suppressed smile, “Could it be that she’s grown... _attached_ to you?”

“Oh, spare me.” You scoffed, “She probably just didn’t want to deal with feral nightcreatures when she got home.”

“Maybe so, but that doesn’t mean-“

“Forgemaster.” Interrupted a voice from the doorway. 

Speak of the devil and she doth appear. Carmilla strode in, her eyes narrowed as she languidly regarded the two of you. You inclined your head to her, ignoring the unsubtle excitement of Lenore. The albino stalked inside, her focus remained on you. 

“Oh good! You’re just in time.” She greeted with a grin, “We were just about to try something.”

You had a feeling you weren’t going to like where this was going. 

“And what would that be?” She flicked her gaze to the other woman. 

Lenore returned a wide, smug, smile before gently clasping your chin between her fingers. You didn’t have time to react before she pressed her cool lips to yours. You yelped, face flushing in embarrassment and the redhead took the opportunity to pull you closer to her. Thankfully she was gone in an instant. Carmilla had dragged her back by the hair, her face was dark and leering as she shoved the vampire away from you. 

“What the fuck was that?” She snarled at the smaller woman. Quite frankly, you wanted to ask the same thing. 

“Just proving a point.” She said unhelpfully, only drawing the ire of the vampire, “I’ll show myself out now.”

She walked out, but not before shooting you a quick thumbs up as she vanished out in the hall. You shivered, nervously worrying your lip between your teeth. Carmilla cleared her throat bringing your gaze back to her. 

“I have come to extend a _generous_ offer to you.” She began, “I am in need of a more _personal_ servant.”

“Uh… wait.” Your thoughts jumbling into a mess at the blatant implication, “ _Personal_ servant meaning…?”

“A concubine, paramour, bed warmer, _lover_ if you’re so inclined.” She replied bluntly. If you weren’t blushing before you sure as hell were now.

“A-and if I refuse?” You hazarded asking.

“Then nothing will come of it.” She answered coolly, “We aren’t _animals_ , forgemaster.”

You mulled over the options. Potentially, you could earn yourself some luxuries like your own room, a pantry, and possibly even your freedom. However it would be at the cost of having to keep her much closer than you’d like her. You could honestly say you were severely lacking in experience but she already seemed to be aware. It wouldn’t be particularly hard, but you still had a job to do outside of _that_ . You sighed deeply, smoothing your hair out of your face- this was a _lot_.

“Will it interfere with my work?” You asked. 

“Your services will only take you in the morning and evening.” She drawled, “Though I will expect you to be ready at my beck and call.”

“Alright.” You said with no small amount of uncertainty, “But only on the condition that I can stop it at any point should I feel unsafe.”

The woman gave a roll of the eyes but extended her hand. You took it into yours, giving it a firm shake. You moved to sit back down but she didn’t release her grasp on you. She tugged you backwards, wrapping her arms around your waist from behind. Your heart leapt into your throat as her lips brushed the shell of your ear. Christ she was just _toying_ with you now isn’t she. 

“A pleasure doing business with you.” She purred, low and raspy, “You start tomorrow.”

And with that she let you drop like a sack of flour, spinning on her heel and leaving without a second glance. Leaving you weak, flustered, and just a little scared for your life. You weren’t sure how long you sat there, trying to gather your thoughts into something vaguely cohesive. All you could do is brush yourself off and wonder:

_“What the hell am I getting myself into?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I kept having new ideas so after this chapter there’s gonna be an extra like 3 or so chapters just establishing the relationship (mostly just to shoehorn in my own lore for vampirism). So the next chapters are gonna be mostly just fluff, angst and most importantly, smut so be on the lookout for that. 
> 
> Stay safe out there folks!

**Author's Note:**

> If you caught any errors please let me know. 
> 
> Dunno when I’ll post next but comments and kudos encourage me to write more.


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